


Sweet Stop

by AnotherWorld3111



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Accidental Scent Bonding, According to Google Anyway, Alpha Castiel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angel Balthazar, Angel Castiel (Supernatural), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Archangel Gabriel (Supernatural), Bakery Shop Owner Gabriel (Supernatural), Balthazar is a sweetheart, Beekeeper Castiel (Supernatural), Behavioral institutes, Beta Balthazar, Beta Gabriel, Blood, Bottom Dean, Bottom Dean Winchester, Canon Related, Cussing, Dean Has Nightmares, Demons, Doctor Sexy M.D., Drug Abuse, Electrocution, F/F, F/M, Fingering, First Aid, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Food, Game of Thrones References, Ghosts, How could i forget that?, How is that not a tag, Hunter Castiel, Hurt, Hurt Dean, Hurt Dean Winchester, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, Implied/Referenced Torture, Literally all the kinky sounding stuff is actually gonna be non-con, M/M, No not fun stuff, Non-Consensual Bondage, Non-consual Alastair/Dean Winchester, Omega Dean, Omega Dean Winchester, POV Castiel, POV Dean, POV Dean Winchester, Protective Castiel, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, SPN A/B/O Big Bang, Scent Bond, Scenting, Season/Series 04, Smut, So is Gabriel, Some Sort of Hunters' Supply Dealer/Shop Owner Balthazar, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Supportive Gabriel (Supernatural), Surprise! - Freeform, Suspension, Takes place around season 4, Torture, True Mates, Vibrators, Werewolves, Why isn't Rose's character a tag?, but also a little bit of, case fics, i mean male omegas so..., ill probably have to put it in the notes.., its not really anal but its not really vaginal..., mentions of overdose, mostly - Freeform, non-consual, real places, serious trigger warnings, there'll be a few cases in this fic :), what the hell is the difference between the two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-02-02 12:12:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 153,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12726402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherWorld3111/pseuds/AnotherWorld3111
Summary: Dean’s used to living in solidarity. Well. Not really. He goes out on hunts, but he’s rooted down in Kansas. All because of a deal he made. One that involves him being with Alastair. And letting the demon do what he wants to Dean.But then Dean bumps into Castiel. As they continue to meet each other, what with Dean frequenting Castiel’s brothers' shops, they form a slow and tenuous friendship.Castiel is worried about the man he somehow formed a scent bond with - which should not be possible whatsoever, due to his status as an angel and the fact that his vessel already had a true mate. He tries to get to the bottom of why Dean is letting himself clearly be abused.But neither of them are without their own secrets. So how will the omega react when he finds out the first person he let himself get close to after so long is not who - or rather,whathe says he is?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> THIS FIC IS COMPLETED!! Will be posting every Tuesday :) and hopefully i'll be done editing each chapter by then.. I estimate this fic should be completely posted by.. January or so, as all sticks well to the schedule :)  
> I hope you enjoy, please feel free to point out any mistakes. Extra tags will be added with each chapter, so make sure to check those out for trigger warnings, or spoilers ;)

Sweet Stop - Chapter 1

 

**_Topeka, Kansas_ **

**_Early June, 2009_ **

 

   It was times like these that Dean would harshly reconsider once again why he favored this heat over the cold winter season. What with the sun beating down on his back, the sweat trickling down from his neck to between his shoulders, causing the open wounds on his back to sting under his leather jacket, Dean found himself wishing desperately for it to be winter again. Though when that time did come, Dean knew he would be cursing to the high heavens as he desperately tried to warm himself up.

   Dean sighed at the memories of shivering in his backseat, trying to make the thought disappear like the sweat he managed to wipe away. He subconsciously pulled on the collar of his leather jacket up higher and tugging it closer around his neck before pushing the door in front of him open, stepping into the cool air blasting from the AC of the cafe. From above his head, the bell tinkled, alerting his entrance to the owner of the cafe - ' _Sweet Stop - your very own Heaven on earth_.’ Brown haired, slightly on the short and pudgy side, and a perpetual mischievous look twinkling in his golden eyes, Gabe was an... interesting beta, as far as Dean was concerned. For one, the unfixed prices on his bakeries which always seemed to be within how much Dean was willing to splurge that day was proof enough for that, but Dean sure as hell wasn't complaining. Two, despite the traditional look the cafe carried - warm tones with the wooden flooring, booths and bar stool cushions the color of red, the bar table's surface in question gleaming - the cafe was still particularly cozy. Which was possibly because of all the bakeries freshly made and proudly shown off in the display case, but even more so because both the walls on the sides of the cafe were covered in children's artwork - especially the drawings of sweet items made by young hands.

   "Jimmy! My man!" Besides. It seemed he had to pay for whatever the true worth of those bakeries were by dealing with the man's constant state of exceptional perkiness. "How's it hanging?"

   "Limp as a noodle can get in this heat and to the right." Dean stated dryly, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat, but didn't bother saying it again. It was the first time he had spoken all day, and after last night... he wasn't too keen on saying more than necessary.

   Gabe's eyes twinkled as he clicked his tongue in amusement, before leaning on the counter in front of Dean.

   "I feel ya, pal." The beta clicked his tongue again. "So. What's it gonna be?" A grin suddenly appeared on the man's face. "We have a new mystery flavor of pie available today, if you're up to the challenge."

   Dean hesitated. As usual, the thought of pie had him soaring with interest, but he had been looking forward to the comfort that only a slice of apple pie had ever been able to achieve in a long while. And yet...

   "Yeah, why not?" Dean muttered, shuffling on his feet a little as he tried to find a position that wouldn't strain his back too much. The apple pie could wait for a day worse than this, though Dean didn’t think it couldn't get any more so. "Let's go for it." He offered a weak smile to the beta, and judging by the look on his face, Gabe didn't fall for it. Thankfully, as always, Gabe chose not to comment though, instead standing upright and grinning again.

   "You got it, Jimmy-boy!" He turned to walk away, disappearing into the back of the cafe with a, "one mystery slice pie, _coming up!_ " that sounded a bit too cheery for Dean’s ears.

   The moment Gabe was out of sight, Dean let out a deep exhale, feeling as if he had been barely breathing properly ever since he step foot into the cafe, slumping against the corner. By default, his eyes had taken in the entire cafe within seconds of entering the building, noting the near lack of patrons, except for a man seated at a booth near the far end of the store, his head bent so low over his book, only a mop of black hair could be seen. Then again, the practically empty state of the cafe could be explained by the fact that Dean had entered mere moments after Gabe reopened for the day, the evening rush not yet coming around, and so the fact that this man was already seated would have unsettled Dean, had he not grown accustomed to the sight.

   It was on this man that Dean's gaze fell on, as he leaned heavily against the counter in front, twisted to a certain extent so that the dark haired man - alpha, going by the scent that didn't seem to be bothered to be suppressed - could be within Dean's line of sight. As usual, Dean still couldn't see the man's face, only the fact that the familiar mop of black hair bent over a thick book and the ever familiar scent marking him out to be the same man any and every time Dean came into Sweet Stop.

   This alpha's scent was the reason behind having Dean unable to tear away his gaze from him, wafting towards Dean and reminding him of the rain. Or maybe the atmosphere when lightning was about to strike, the thick heady feeling usually one to cause distress to others. But had Dean not had that mark... he had a feeling he would have been gripping the counter hard trying not to swoon, instead of doing that just because of the wounds on his back.

   But it wasn't just the rain that was overwhelming. The smell was reminiscent of water falling on trees - the mildew growing from it strangely pleasant. It made Dean want to grab a blanket and a cuppa and cuddle up somewhere, drinking while watching the rainfall.

   The smell of pie abruptly wafted towards Dean's nose, tearing his attention away from the mystery alpha to the mystery flavored pie instead, held in Gabe's careful arms.

   "Lo, behold!" Gabe exclaimed cheerily. "Pie!" He set the tray down on the table with a light thud as Dean pushed himself upright, taking a deep breath before completely letting go of the counter and it's support.

   "Take a deep breath in of that wonderful pie." Gabe grinned, closing his eyes before following his own words, hence missing Dean's cringe before he hastened to do the same, lest Gabe open his eyes and witness Dean's momentary weakness.

   "Smells good, don't it?"

   Dean sniffed, pausing before taking a deeper breath, subconsciously leaning a bit more forward. The wonderful aroma of baked crust, lemon, and... mint? Was filling his nose, and surprisingly - or rather, unsurprisingly, given Gabe's talent with bakery items - the smell was ecstatic.

   "Made it all by myself from scratch this morning. Took me a while, mind you, to get the right balance of them, and of course, they're all homegrown ingredients, thanks to my little bro and his green thumb there." Gabe rambled, and it barely registered in Dean's mind as to the sudden revelation of this mysterious man, too engrossed in trying to devour the pie by scent alone. "I'll let you eat half the pie max before you tell me what flavor it is - get it right, and you can have the second half for fr-"

   "Mint."

   Dean finally opened his eyes, taking in the fact that he was leaning far too close and started to push himself back a bit, before he looked up to meet Gabe's startled eyes.

   He cocked an eyebrow in question, and Gabe cleared his threat, his expression easily visible as impressed.  

   "Don't get me wrong there, but I know as an omega and all you'd have a mighty good sense of smell, but that was fast... I even added extra-"

   "Sugar," Dean nodded as he cut in again, this time with an almost apologetic smile at the continuous interruption, before he went on anyway. "But the key ingredients are lemon - and the mint of course. With the sugar and..." Dean inhaled lightly again. "Lime, to give an extra zing, I guess, but those two to mask the immediate smell of the mint." Dean allowed a cocky smile to slip through his lips. "Can't mask that one’s smell as easily though."

   Gabe blinked, letting out a small _huh_. "Guess I should have taken into consideration my lesser senses." He grinned largely again, a hint of something flashing between his eyes, as if they were in on a little secret that Dean had no idea of. He pushed the tray towards Dean, with a bit too much gusto however, and had it not been for Dean's lightening fast reflexes - dampened as they were what with the motion pulling at the muscles on his back - the tray of lemon pie would have been splattered on the ground at Dean's feet.

   "You get the full pie for free, Jimmy-boy!" He exclaimed. "Take it as a reward for your extra good senses, even if not for getting past my usually extremely skilled hand at masking whatever scents I wanted masked." Gave let out a cocky grin and wink.  

   Dean grinned back at the innuendo, for the first time that day a true, genuine smile. Now, free pie? That was something he could do with on a day like this. Maybe declining the apple pie wasn't that bad of an idea after all.

 

oOo

 

   The sound of the cafe's bell tinkled from ahead again, signaling the exit of Gabriel’s customer, and Castiel finally allowed himself to relax. The scent of omega, muted as it may be, was still intoxicating, leather and coriander blissful to the alpha's nose. He briefly wondered why it was so appealing, even while it was clear that the omega was mated, but with that thought, Castiel pushed it all away, refocusing on his book. It was one of gardening specific types of plants that would bear fruit even in this harsh summer heat, and while Castiel knew that he could always use his grace to ensure the plant's survival, he was more keen on learning how to be able to let the plant grow as it should without an Angel's interference.

   "Caramel macchiato with a dash of peppermint."

   A cup of steaming liquid was suddenly shoved in front of Castiel's nose, making the alpha blink as he jerked backwards, startled.

   "Try it and tell me what you think. Is it menu worthy?"

   Castiel reluctantly accepted the cup, the beta swiftly moving to seat himself across from Castiel the moment his hand was free.

   Under Gabriel's watchful gaze, he took a hesitant sip, unwittingly screwing up his eyes and tilting his head slightly in thought as he slowly swirled the liquid around his tongue to savor the taste.

   "It tastes like..." Castiel put the cup down, his eyes on his cup, aware of being under the scrutiny of Gabriel's expectant gaze.

   "Well. Molecules. But apart from that," he finally looked up, steadily meeting Gabriel's eyes. "It most likely would have been bad for some - maybe good for others - but I'm guessing you used grace to get the proper blend so as to appeal to a majority of your consumers, if not all?" Castiel asked dryly.

   Gabriel finally cracked a grin, leaning against the back of the chair, crossing his fingers behind his head, relaxed now that his coffee was given the good to go. "Maybe."

   "Of all the things you could use your grace for." Castiel shook his head dryly.

   Gabriel just snickered, not saying anything. A few moments passed, before Castiel conceded, a sigh escaping him as he rolled his eyes, before he lifted the cup again and took a sip.

   Gabriel let out an overly enthusiastic cheer, right as the bell tinkled again, leaving Gabriel to hasten to start tending to his evening rush.

   Castiel put the cup back down, and closed his book. While he was happy to oblige to Gabriel's request to sit with the beta during his less crowding or break hours, the slow but steady stream of incoming customers started to slowly get on Castiel's nerves after a certain point. And as much as he loved to look at each and every of his father's creations, especially humans, they tended get quite loud for Castiel’s taste. And Castiel craved peace and quiet. Which was why it was a bit of a struggle to avoid spending almost all his time at the place he was going to now. Though he would easily admit without any hesitations to anyone who asked, that the near lack of customers - as opposed to Gabriel anyway, but really, anyone could be compared to having a small amount of consumers when compared to the angel possessing a beta's vessel, known only to two of his brothers that he used Grace for his products to excel - was easily made up by Balthazar's outgoing attitude.

   Castiel stood up and stretched before starting to pack up his belongings to leave. It was like a game of opposites, constantly tugging at each other to ensure that everything remained in order. On one side, Balthazar's and Gabriel's stores, while both with loyal customers, had a varying range of customers, from both the amount and the types of people who frequented the stores. But it was the same stores that sold their products for a completely different price, Gabriel choosing to go as low as possible, so as to appeal to a larger crowd, and again, using his Grace to judge how much a customer could and was willing to pay, despite the supposedly fixed prices on the menu. A constant stream of discounts advertised helped get around that little detail. Balthazar, on the other hand, was rigid on his no bargaining rule, and while Castiel wouldn't agree with it, he still understood the value of the products Balthazar chose to sell, and especially to the humans who also knew what they were buying that they couldn't be adverse to spending a hefty amount.

   As he nodded to Gabriel before exiting the cafe, his book in one hand and Gabriel's newly made coffee in the other, Castiel couldn't help but wonder at how the differences applied to themselves by their personalities as well. Where the alpha was overly introverted, Balthazar and Gabriel were far more welcoming towards people, especially the latter. Which is probably why while the two betas owned and ran a business that had them essentially interacting with several people on a daily basis, Castiel would have much preferred to stay at home and tend to his gardens and beehives. But who knew. Maybe like Gabriel and Balthazar always insisted, maybe it would - or perhaps already does, though Castiel doubted that as much as he wouldn't say it aloud - do him some good.

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 2

 

_"My darling."_

_Alastair grunted in his ear._

_"Darling..."_

_He thrusted in harder, his grip on Dean's hips tightening._

    _"My darling..." The alpha's teeth grazed over the mark on Dean's neck, his stale, pungent breath overwhelming Dean._

    _"Omega..." Dean squeezed his already closed eyes shut harder._

    _"...Bitch."_

    _His teeth sank over the mark yet again, neck bending at an unnatural angle, and Dean howled in pain._

 

oOo

 

   "Good morning, darling." Dean unwittingly flinched at the nickname, before hastily straightening out his features to his trademark cocky smirk to meet Balt's eyes, trying to push away the dark shadows creeping in from the edge of his vision.

   "Balt." He nodded slightly in greeting.

   The Frenchman leaned against the counter at his side, the usual tight V-necked tee the man sported pulling taut against the beta's lean muscles, interlinking his fingers in front of him, an arm resting on the dark countertop.

   "So, what brings my favorite omega to this side of town yet again? Fairy dust? Dragon wings?" Despite his outward nonchalance, Dean could see the interest gleaming in the beta's eyes. While neither had actively acknowledged Dean's profession as a hunter, Dean had a feeling that the beta knew what it was that he did, and he had an even stronger feeling that the beta would often try to garner a guess as to what the ingredients or charms Dean came to buy were for, if the subtle remarks thrown about casually during their brief interactions were anything to go by.

   "Actually," Dean paused, looking at a glass case containing a Japanese looking sword with interest. Although he wanted to take a closer look, he remained a well enough distance away from the casing. As much as he couldn't see it, he could still sense that there were most likely several alarms that weren't just of the mere alerting kind surrounding the display cases throughout the store. "I was hoping you'd have a feather from the wing of an angel and some demon's blood."

   Visibly impressed, Balt whistled, his eyebrows rising.

   "Now, whatever would my dear Omega need demon's blood and an... _angel's_ feather of all things for?" Balt asked, even as he pushed himself away from the counter to fetch Dean's requests, hence missing Dean gritting his teeth.

   "Oh you know, _Balty_ ," Dean said, his voice laced with mocking sarcasm. "Just the usual experiments to see how I can get rid of annoying Frenchmen without leaving a trace."

   Balt gasped, twirling around. One of his hands was clutching a vial of something red and murky as he dramatically pressed it against his chest. "Oh, you _wound_ me," Balt exclaimed. "And here I thought we had a good chemistry working between us."

   Dean rolled his eyes, but didn't bother to hide the amused grin playing at the corner of his lips. "Yeah. Chemistry that would have led to eventual combustion."

   Balt chuckled as he came over to the front counter, placing the vial atop it with careful fingers. "That's one vial of demon's blood, and I'll be with your angelic tickling device in just a moment." With that, he quickly entered a store room via a door at the wall behind the counter, no doubt placed under thicker security for items as precious as angel feathers or a constipated fairy's stools to be stored. While Balt looked for the angel feather, Dean carefully bent down to look at the vial, wincing at his movements before he focused on the demon's blood. It sat motionless... for the most part, compared to a few other... _ingredients_ Dean has had to deal with.

   As he continued staring at it with a skeptical eye, a bubble formed at the bottom of the vial, floating to the top and sitting there for a few seconds before bursting, specks of blood staining the top of the vial.

   "One angelic feather, for my favorite omega customer."

   Another taller vial was placed besides the demon's blood, and as Dean turned to take a look at that one, he froze, before slowly standing upright again.

   "Balt... why... is the feather... pink?"

   Sitting innocently within the vial was a long feather, it's lines blurred as it emanated a faint glow. The entire thing, feather and light, was a baby-pink color, causing Dean to stare at it with distrust.

   Balt shrugged. "I dyed it."

   Dean stared at him skeptically. "You dyed it." He repeated dryly.

   Balt raised his eyebrows again, tilting his head to the side and cupping an ear. "Is there an echo in here that I failed to notice in all my years as this store's owner? _Yes, I dyed it_." Balt stated, looking unimpressed with Dean. "Quite attractive though, isn't it?" He grinned suddenly, and Dean found himself shaking his head, as if to stave off the whiplash he felt was creeping up on him.

   "Sure." He stated dryly. "How much?"

 

oOo

 

**_Wichita, Kansas_ **

**_Early June, 2009_ **

 

   " _Sonofa_ -" Dean grunted as he was thrown against a wall, the impact causing pain to explode along the lacerations on his back. Ignoring the tears pooling at the corner of his eyes, he scrambled upright, his fingers searching along the dusty floor as he kept his eyes on his target. The moment his fingers made contact with the bronze stake, he grabbed on to it, and rushed forward and impaled the monster with a great snarl, baring his canines and letting it extend, not giving it another chance to throw Dean around the walls of the abandoned house. And of course it was an abandoned house. He'd have thought he'd have found it earlier, but with the house neatly placed within a suburban neighborhood, it took Dean a whole extra day than planned just to get the noise cancellation spells in order, when the monster wasn't in, so that none of the neighbors would be able to hear the current fight that had ensued and have called the cops on Dean’s ass.

   "That's for using me as a rag doll, you bitch." Dean muttered, and as the monster - some sort of complicated name that he couldn't get past the first few letters without butchering it up - screeched in his ear, he couldn't help but cynically twist the stake embedded in the monster's gut, making it arch in his arms before slumping in his arms.

   Sure that it was dead, Dean stepped back, breathing heavily, uncaringly letting the monster fall with a thud to the ground. Feeling his phone vibrate yet again, he sighed. He wouldn't be able to ignore it any longer, unless he wanted to deal with the consequences he'd rather very much avoid. Nonetheless, he stepped forward and yanked the stake out of the unresponsive creature, wiping the mix of demon's blood, crushed angelic feather and a shrew's tail, along with monster guts, on the creature's shirt, before sheathing the weapon at his side. Standing upright and ignoring the painful twinges along his back, Dean knew he'd have hell to pay for everything again tonight with how badly he was treating himself. Didn’t stop him from continuing to neglect it anyway.

   A few minutes later, the monster all well and burned to a crisp, Dean finally allowed himself to take his phone out of his pocket, bracing himself grimly.

   One missed call, a voicemail, and a text. Silently, Dean opened up the text message.

   " _In case you misunderstood my meaning, that's_ _tonight_ _, at 7 PM. Same place. I better see you then, darling, or you know what will happen."_

   Delete message?

   Deleted.

 

oOo

 

**_Topeka, Kansas_ **

**_Early June, 2009_ **

 

   God damnit, he knew, he frigging _knew_ he should have taken the interstate and hastened to get there by seven. The hell had possessed him to dally about and use the local road, Dean would never know. And judging the sensation of the thick red liquid running between his legs, shoulder blades, and, well. Practically _everywhere_ and anywhere that was covered by his clothing, he wasn't sure he'd live to find out either.  

   Dean coughed, wheezing and gasping at the pain the racket caused, pressing one hand against his ribs and the other against the brick wall beside him, black spots dancing in his vision. Just one more block to go, and then he could safely collapse within the confines of his car. At that thought, with great difficulty Dean managed to push himself to a somewhat vertical position, taking slow and shaky steps forward. One more block or not, if he was gonna collapse, while he'd definitely do it within the comfort of his baby, like hell was he gonna pass out in this dump of a back street. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to blame that on his excellent sense of smell as a trained hunter or even as an omega, truth was, Dean was just far too familiar with these smells for him to be comfortable with. As he shuffled on, Dean was easily categorizing each scent mentally, having memorized them long ago, to the point that by now, he was mainly being led on towards his car by his nose rather than his eyes. Probably for the best, because either his eyes were closed, or he was severely close to completely blacking out.

   Right. His nose. Whether or not his eyes were open, Dean tried to pay more attention to the scents, rather than the fact that he really couldn't see. Stale piss; cigarettes, marking the back of a club that he remembered driving past before parking Baby; booze a little farther on, the vague sound of glass crunching under his feet to accentuate it; the sharp tang of chemicals, most likely mild ingredients that have lost their potency and hence disposed by Balt; ozone and mildew; vomit -

   Wait. What?

   Far too late, Dean barely had a moment to register that he had stopped moving, before suddenly the ground under his feet was also hugging the back of his legs, torso, and head.

   The previously dancing black spots in his vision threatening to overtake him, Dean could only make out vague sounds, beautiful blue orbs, before everything exploded into a bright blue light. And then Dean succumbed to the darkness.

 

oOo

 

   "I forgot to tell you yesterday, what with the restocking and all - guess what a customer yesterday had ordered!" Balthazar's loud, vibrant voice was the first thing Castiel heard the moment he step foot into the former's shop. One would think that Castiel would have gotten accustomed to the former angel's spontaneity, and yet, Balthazar never failed to surprise him. Nonetheless, the alpha for sure knew that the only way to keep up would be to just go along with - _both_ of - his brothers' antics.

   "A device to purposefully maim a specific angel's gusto?" He asked dryly, putting away his book on beehive maintaining and Gabriel's experiment of the day. Unlike the previous day's caramel macchiato with the peppermint, today's iced lemon tea - ‘ _well, what else am I supposed to do with all these extra lemons?_ ’ -  infused with dark chocolate. And while perhaps, once again, appealing to some humans, Castiel was having a hard time putting together all the complex molecules to get a proper taste of it. And as much as he did try to tell Gabriel that it was quite alright, the beta for some reason seemed more intent on impressing the alpha primarily, whether or not his drinks would go on the menu board - though they all usually did - and promised to give him a better drink consisting of a thick, mint chocolate slushie. Castiel had remained silent, but his doubts on the complexity of that drink being any easier on the angel's tongue still remained high.

   When Castiel finally looked up from properly placing his cup in a specific position to ensure that it wouldn't fall over, and even if it did it wouldn't spill on anything important, he was met with his brother giving him a funny look.

   "What?"

   Balthazar shook his head, changing his expression to something more mischievous.

   "Alright, fine. You'll never guess." And that was a sign of his impatience to let it all out anyway, so Castiel remained silent, knowing his brother would let it out regardless. "Demon's blood..."

   When Balthazar refused to go on, Castiel raised an eyebrow inquisitively. While not many spells would require demon's blood specifically, there wasn't anything special about that, unless the beta's customer was going on about trying to summon the devil or something similar. In which case, while highly unlikely that they'd succeed, Castiel would like to think that his brother would give a dupe liquid with a similar consistency. No use in letting anyone innocent - as foolish as they may be - come to any harm, especially thanks to them.

   "And an angelic feather!" Balthazar exclaimed, positively beaming with glee.

   Castiel narrowed his eyes, this time in confusion.

   "I don't understand. Whether or not a human believes the angelic feather to be from an actual angel's wings," and Castiel knew for sure that there were some people who would come in just for laughs, and even as they walked out they would still think that their crazily expensive purchase was faux. Though they wouldn't admit aloud that they were secretly enamored by whatever they bought, seeing as it couldn't be in any way similar to whatever faux product they thought it to be anyway. "What's so special about it this time?" He asked.

   Balthazar sighed, as if put upon, shaking his head with resignation.

   "I gave the customer a feather from my _own_ wing." The grin was back, and this time, Castiel slowly found comprehension dawning on him.

   "The wings... that you had just used your Grace to appear in all the colors of the rainbow as it appears to the human eye." He stated.

   Balthazar nodded. "Finally! Yes!" He clapped his hands, leaning against the corner behind him.

   "Ah, you should have seen the poor man's face. He looked as if he wasn't sure if he was buying the original. But seeing as he most likely needed it for a spell, I'm guessing if he hasn't already, he'll soon find out it's the real deal, and for good reason. God knows what he was hunting with only those two ingredients, though I suspect he had whatever else he needed at his dispos-"

   "Wait." Castiel cut in, narrowing his eyes. "You gave a _hunter_ your own feather?" He stressed.  

   Balthazar shrugged, his form still relaxed against the counter as he crossed his ankles. "Calm down, brother. He's been coming here for years. Even if he suspected us to not be humans - which he doesn't - I doubt he'll get rid of his one good supplier."

   Despite Balthazar's nonchalance, Castiel still couldn't relax.

   "And you're sure of this, how?" He pressed, just to make sure.

   "I may have flirted with him once, just to see how he would respond." Balthazar replied, and this time there was definitely a hint of a playful smirk gracing his features. "Poor man was flustered, but that may have been because he was already mated. But if he hadn't been, I have a feeling he'd have been quite eager to get something going, if you know what I mean. As it is, he doesn't seem like the kind of man who'd be into bestiality." Balthazar waggled his eyebrows, and when Castiel rolled his eyes with a small groan of irritation, he started cackling.

   "Right." Castiel said, his eyebrows still raised skeptically. "Just so you know, I highly doubt angels fall into the category of animals, so bestiality wouldn't be the right term." he muttered nonchalantly, returning to his book. A moment passed, and then as Castiel predicted, Balthazar's laughter returned with renewed vigor.  Castiel, ignoring the beta anyway, opened his book to where he left off, and started reading.

 

oOo

 

   All too soon, time had passed quickly and the next time Castiel looked up, after flipping his book's page only to realize he had come to an end - he was surprised to find that the sun had set, and Balthazar was going through his customary rounds before closing.

   Standing and slightly stretching, Castiel called out to his brother. "Do you need any help?"

   Balthazar's head popped up from behind a shelf, the rest of his body obscured by the thick, dusty, tome laden bookcase.

   "Yes, be a darling and get rid of the first row of fairy dust, will you? I'm afraid at the time of the transaction, the fairies must have been a bit... upset, because I don't think they gave me the long lasting kind." Before Castiel could comment, or even think of a reply, Balthazar disappeared once again. With a sigh, the alpha made his way to the storeroom at the back of the store, dumping his empty coffee cup at the recycling bin by the doorway as he did.

   Inside, the store room was just as dark and musty as anyone would expect it to be, and even just as complex. If anyone without a good sense of direction and a map were to come in, Castiel would give them two minutes before they realized they were lost. While the room wasn't exactly large per say, Balthazar had nonetheless ordered and arranged several shelves so that it was as if they were to be a maze's wall. Thankfully, Castiel was by now long used to the expected placement - despite his brother constantly reorganizing everything, and there again was a difference when compared to Gabriel, who preferred all his ingredients to stay in one spot - of the beta's products, and so with a few twisted turns taken with ease, Castiel found himself in front of the jars of fairy dust well within a minute.

   After carefully scoping out the jars of dust that had stopped shining into a paper bag, Castiel exited the store room, and as he used a back exit, he showed the bag to Balthazar, who was busily rejuvenating a tired old goblin, and just as the beta nodded his approval, Castiel shut the door behind him.

   Once outside, Castiel took a deep breath. As much as it stank out here in the back alley, he could still appreciate the tiny bits of fresh air rushing to his lungs, more noticeable after hours spent in Balthazar's shop. A few moments passed before he moved on to the blue bin a little further down the alley, carefully placing the bag on a bunch of cardboard pieces tied together before closing the bin, to be properly disposed of by his brother later, before the unsuspecting garbage man took it to the county’s dumpyard. The alpha had barely inhaled the familiar scent of coriander and leather before he turned around, and found an omega in front of him slumping to the ground, his cloudy green eyes sliding closed.

   Alarmed, Castiel ran forward, wincing in sympathy when the man's head met the ground before he could reach him. Just as the man's form came to a still on the dirty alley way's floor, Castiel came to a stop, landing right away on his knees.

   "Hey-hey! Sir, can you hear me?" Castiel grabbed on to the man's face, gently prying open the omega's eyes to check for any responses, but when he failed to get one, Castiel let the man's eyes to close again. Leaning back on his heels, he grit his teeth in frustration, contemplating the situation, before he leaned back forward. Hoping that the man was well and truly unconscious, he let his grace slip forward as he closed his eyes as well, blanketing the man in a pale blue light marking his grace's work, trying to get a bearing on the man's wounds.

   Just as quickly as his grace touched the man, Castiel reared back, his eyes opening in shock, making his focus to slip and his grace to draw back within the angel's vessel.

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 3

 

   The moment his grace was enveloping the omega, a mixture of pain and bliss exploded within Castiel. The latter, however, was only a brief reprieve - the scent of coriander and leather overwhelming Castiel so much so that for a moment it was all he could think - all he could _feel_ , as if he was being wrapped in a warm cocoon of safety. But just as quickly as it came, it was gone, instead replaced by a pain so strong, it nearly caused Castiel to black out. As it was, the sensation was still heavy enough for the angel to barely categorize each wound before his focus slipped, which was when he found himself opening his eyes again without his permission, disorienting Castiel for a moment as he tried to refocus on his surroundings in the alleyway again. Too busy trying to steady his senses, he almost missed the sound of Balthazar's back door opening and the sound of the beta's inquisitive voice as he looked around for Castiel.

   "Now I know that you're quite attentive in your doings - more so than a regular person - but nothing usually takes- Cassie!" Balthazar's voice rose in pitch as his eyes, finally adjusted to the dim light of the alleyway - though it wasn't like it was any darker within the beta's shop - at last landed on Castiel. But the moment he saw the omega lying prone on the floor beside Castiel's knees, he started to move forward, coming to crouch down on the floor as well.

   "What in the bloody hell happened here?" Balthazar asked, placing a hand on Castiel's shoulder, but his voice was quiet, as much as it was firm.

   "I turned around just to see him fall. I did a quick sweep of his injuries - he's been severely hurt; bruises on his wrists, ankles, and neck; multiple lacerations on his legs and sides, but the deepest ones are mainly on his back." Castiel took a pause from his almost - _almost_ \- clinical listing, his voice for some reason being hoarse the only thing to betray Castiel's lack of complete detachment from the situation. Somehow, the angel found himself leaning into his brother's touch before he went on. "He's also got internal wounds that are seriously worrying. I fear his uterus may be slightly ruptured, which I feel may be from all the birth and heat control pills that I can still find traces of in his _bloodstream."_ Castiel emphasized. "And," he hesitated. "I-I think he's been raped... he's got severe anal tearing, Balthazar."  

   Simultaneously, both angel's eyes flew upwards to the still bleeding mark on the omega's collarbone, his shirt tugged down by his most likely uncomfortable fall to reveal the wound. But even under the blood, both the angels could see that the mark was far older than the fresh red stains. Before Castiel could say anything else, it was Balthazar who spoke for him, voicing what went through both of their heads at that moment.

   "Cassie... I think it was his mate who did this." The beta was still quiet, but his voice revealed how scandalized he was by the situation.

   Surprising them both, Castiel immediately started growling the moment Balthazar uttered his words, however.

   "Woah there, alpha." Balthazar's grip on Castiel's shoulder tightened, startling him enough to silence him, resulting in Castiel narrowing his eyes with surprise at his own action.

   "I don't think we can do anything for him right now, especially out here in the open." Balthazar said, after a moment of silence where he couldn't avoid the surprised look that he had directed at Castiel. The alpha was still refusing to meet his gaze though. The beta straightened, looking around, his hand on Castiel's shoulder loosening but he didn't let go of him completely. "Tell you what. We'll take him to our home, and we'll fix up as much as we can." Balthazar paused, and when he spoke again, he sounded rather apologetic. "We might have to prioritize his wounds a bit. Jimmy's got far too many wounds from what you mentioned, and I bet you a dozen pounds of wendigo dust that they'll be harder to heal without pinging up on the heavenly angelic radar."

   Castiel, who had been so far nodding along to his brother's words, suddenly drew short.

   "Jimmy?" His head spun around to meet Balthazar's eyes, the beta looking confused at the alpha's suddenly intensive clarity.

   "Yes... he's the hunter I was mentioning about. Came in yesterday looking a bit tired, but not as bad as this." Balthazar’s face growing somber again as he turned to the omega, but Castiel wasn't paying too much attention to that.

   "No, it's just... Gabriel. He's got a customer named Jimmy whom he allows to sort of have a... bet, if you will, on his pies. And judging by this omega's scent... Balthazar, I think he's the same man." Castiel exclaimed, his voice ever so slightly pained.

   And it soon matched the expression that overcame his brother's face.

   "Gabriel letting someone taste his pies for free? Oh dear, I'm sure he's definitely going to want in on this."

 

oOo

 

   A brief fifteen minutes later found Balthazar finally joining Castiel and Jimmy at their large penthouse suite, the alpha choosing to fly the omega home while the beta followed along in his car. Gabriel would still be closing up shop, but he was due home in a few minutes anyway. By the time Balthazar had arrived at their apartment, Castiel had already begun the arduous process of carefully healing the omega, without overusing his powers.  

   "Started without me, have you?" Balthazar commented, when he walked into their room. Castiel had been subconsciously keeping track of his brother from the moment he stepped foot in their suite, his angelic sense of hearing easily picking up Balthazar's entry, the light patter of the beta's feet as he walked around the building, looking for the duo, before finally entering the spare bedroom right across the hall from the alpha, finding said Angel bent over the omega, who was made to lie on his side on the large bed.

   "I healed his internal wounds, cleaned up all the toxicity from his system. Had he not run into us today and continued to use his suppressing pills," Castiel sighed, his head falling to his bloody hands. He was sitting on his desk's chair, pulled to be seated beside his bed for easy access to the omega's injuries. He didn't know why he felt such a pull to this omega, but whatever it was, it made his heart ache to not be able to take away the man's pains away completely with a touch of his fingers, like he would prefer to.

   "He wouldn't have been able to have children." Balthazar filled in, when it seemed like Castiel wasn't going to continue.

   Castiel sighed, nodding before lifting up his head again, wringing the bloody rag in his hands. "I also fixed the tearing, but that was as far as I could go without overusing my grace for today, not to mention I highly doubt a hunter would fail to notice if his external wounds suddenly healed." His voice was almost bitter, and briefly Castiel wondered yet again why he was feeling this way. And judging by the look on Balthazar's face, it hadn't escaped the beta's attention, as he was already opening his mouth to comment, when the sound of a door slamming open resounded throughout the suite.

   "Honey! I am home - and I come bearing sweets!" Gabriel's cheery voice was easily heard, and while it usually elicited an eye roll from Castiel, the alpha now hastily looked at the omega on his bed at worry, his emotion increasing when the man groaned in his sleep, before becoming silent again. Taking his cue, Balthazar shot Castiel a look before he went out of the room to deliver the news to Gabriel.

   As Balthazar disappeared, Castiel resumed cleaning the wounds on the omega's back. He wondered what exactly his brother would be telling Gabriel, especially concerning Castiel's sudden interest in this omega. Toying around with the thought of tuning into the hushed whispers coming from outside his room, but before he could actually consider listening in on the conversation, Gabriel entered the room, looking troubled. And that, right there, worried Castiel further. Because he could count on one hand the amount of times Gabriel looked troubled, the beta normally choosing to be carefree in several situations that would require otherwise. Though then again, while Balthazar was the same as the beta, Castiel had usually found himself neutral in such positions, choosing to follow whomever's lead. Until now.

   "Gabriel?" His hand stopped wiping at the crusted blood surrounding a particularly deep gash, the angel looking up at his brother.

   "Nah, you keep doing what you're doing. I'll just stand here and make sure you don't mess up anything." Gabriel commented, his voice light as he procured a lollipop out of thin air, unwrapping it and popping it in his mouth. Despite his casual demeanor, he still looked troubled, but since he didn't provide Castiel with anything else, after a pause, the alpha continued his ministrations, scrubbing away the rest of the dried blood with care.

   Several agonizing minutes later, with the blood finally scrubbed away, Castiel let the rag drop to the mattress, taking a moment before picking up a needle and thread. Just as he was starting to thread the needle, that's when Gabriel spoke up again, having been uncharacteristically silent the entire time.

   "So... Balty told me you wiped some drugs from Jimmy's system."

   Castiel froze, the thread halfway through the needle as his eyes flew upwards to look at the beta. Admittedly, the process was done with his grace, and while he wouldn't be afraid to admit it to his brother, he was suddenly afraid that maybe he had gone over their limit without noticing?

   "You realize... if he's been on them despite being mated and... _used_ so harshly," Gabriel said with distaste, a brief flicker of anger for the omega flashing through his eyes before he visibly calmed again. "It was probably of his own volition, and he'll be going back on them again."

   Castiel shuffled in his seat, looking back at the needle in his hands. The thread had come free from the needle, but he didn't try inserting it again just yet.

   "I realize that. And as much as the thought tortures me," Castiel sighed, letting the thread fall on his pants as he wiped a hand over his face. "At least I stopped his body from becoming overly damaged for the time being." Castiel finished, still not looking up. It didn’t pass their notice that he sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than his brother.

   Gabriel cleared his throat uncomfortably, shuffling from his position against the doorway.

   "And there's... another thing, kiddo. Not that I'm suddenly against you feeling all sociable and all, but Cassie," Gabriel paused, and this time Castiel looked to his brother again, regarding Gabriel curiously.

   Finally, with slow and hesitant words, as Gabriel let out his revelation, Castiel felt his blood freeze with what his brother was heavily implying - before outright saying it anyway. There was no way this could end well.

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 4

 

   Coming to wasn't the best of experiences. For a moment, when Dean regained his senses, all he could think of was that he had to get out of there, pronto. As much as Alastair loved his company, if Dean stayed too long... the thought of what could end up happening to the omega was something he didn't want to even think of.

   But even as his senses still felt blanketed, his eyes as heavy as his muscles - before he slowly came to realize that there really was a blanket on him - he could slowly start to hear noises. And yeah, Dean could deal with gaining his sense of hearing first, even if he couldn't move his fricking body just yet, dammit.

   "-Taking a breather with his bees, not that I'd be surprised."

   "Well after that? It's a wonder he hasn't disappeared on us completely. Gabriel, we're not even supposed to be capable of -"

   "He's awake."

   Blinking, Dean screwed his eyes at the sudden exposure to light, unable to help the slight whimper that escaped his lips. Immediately, the light ever so slightly dimmed, not too much, but enough for Dean to open his eyes again with more success, this time blinking again to try to clear up the blurriness.

   "Hey there, Jimmy-boy!" Gold eyes suddenly filled his vision, and Dean flinched, wincing as that slight motion pulled at his back. "I know my sweets are something to die for, but I didn't think you'd take it literally."

   Dean blinked. He opened his mouth to try and reply, but all that came out was a dry rasp. A cup promptly appeared at his lips, and Dean started to drink in the water gratefully.

   He must have been close to finishing the entire glass before it was pulled away, much to Dean’s discontent.

   "Easy there, kiddo." Gabe muttered, setting the glass on the table, before sitting on the bed beside Dean.

   "What happened?" Gabe asked, his face serious as he regarded Dean. It was the first time the omega was seeing the beta like this, the usually masked signs of shrewdness now ready to be displayed completely at whatever Dean would reply with.

   Not that he was going to give in that easily though.

   "Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?" He asked, his voice still hoarse, though it didn't prevent the coyness to seep through as he smirked at Gabe.

   He was met with an unimpressed stare.

   "Look, Jimmy. You're a good kid, trust me when I say I know that. Just like I know it's not easy to get one over on a hunter. Especially by his own mate. So tell me. What happened?" Gabe repeated, ever so slightly leaning forward.

   Dean silently stared, taken aback. And though Gabe had been nothing but friendly - even going as far as to showing concern right now to the omega - Dean felt his barriers slamming upright, anger rising along with it in defense as well. And he knew it showed in his face.

   "No offense," and yeah, Dean really didn't care if Gabe took offense right now. "But I really don't see how any of this," he waved towards his prone form vaguely, but then blanched at the pain the movement brought, before he pushed on anyway. "Warrants any explanation to you, buddy."

   Aaand maybe he should have toned that down, seeing as Dean was apparently lying in the beta's apartment, bandaged and blanketed. Even more so seeing as the guy had practically offered him free pie only a few days ago and - shit. What day was it?

   Gabe leaned backwards, visibly taken aback before he smoothed out his expression to show nothing except for a raised eyebrow.

   "Right." He suddenly got up, and Dean wondered too late if had indeed gone too far. "Well. So much for trying to prove that I have a heart, but hey," he exclaimed, throwing out his hands as he shot Dean a shit eating grin that didn't reach his eyes. And yeah, now Dean was feeling pretty crappy - well. More so than usual. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

   He turned on his heel, about to exit the room before he stopped at the doorway. His back was still facing Dean, but he turned his head slightly towards the omega.

   "I'm not gonna give you the traditional, cheesy, 'I'm here if you need me' or 'just tell me who it is and they'll wish they were never born' - though those still stand - though, I mean, I trust you to be smart enough to know that. But Jimmy," Gabe paused, and Dean held his breath as he waited for the beta to go on. "I just hope you know that you're smart enough to realize that whatever shit you're stuck in, you don't deserve it. I personally know you don't, so just... try to get out of whatever situation you're exactly in. Before it gets you killed."

   With that, the shorter man finally left the room, leaving Dean unable to do anything but stare at the ceiling in silent shock.

 

oOo

 

   "Well he's conscious." Gabriel started the moment he turned the corner to enter the living room, where Balthazar and Castiel sat. While the beta merely raised his eyebrow in interest to hear further, not bothering to move from his position on the black leather sofa with his arms spread out to rest on the back of the furniture, Castiel straightened his form on the couch opposite the other angel, his blue eyes piercing Gabriel.

   "How is he?"

   Gabriel let out a sigh, collapsing down on the sofa besides Balthazar, seating himself in a more similar fashion, except instead of crossing his legs, he was completely sprawled out, his legs spreading out far enough to bump against the glass table in between them.

   "Well enough to be snarky, it would seem. But that's good."

   Castiel raised an eyebrow, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side.

   "How is that good?" He enquired, and while he didn't show it, was surprised when Gabriel suddenly leaned forward, his arms coming to rest on his knees, after pulling his legs in.

   "'Cuz it'll let me focus on you, Cassie."

   Castiel looked away, uneasily.

   "I promise you, Gabriel, that I will not allow what you told me to affect our situation, or let anyone from heaven find out-"

   "But that's the thing!" Gabriel exclaimed, interrupting the alpha. The beta took a breath, visibly forcing himself to relax once again, and to lean back against the sofa.

   "You're not supposed to even be in a situation where you can be affected." Gabriel said, forcedly calm as he stared point blank at Castiel. "Yeah, angels can get horny and all - or else we wouldn't have to worry about nephilims - but since when has an angel's vessel been able to override our grace to - forget popping knots - but to _scent bond_ with someone?" Gabriel looked truly bewildered now, and even Castiel was confused.

   The alpha opened his mouth to reply that ‘no, he didn't know, and how was he expected to know something an archangel didn't know?’ When Gabriel rolled his eyes and dismissed him.

   "It was rhetorical, Cassie buddy."

   Castiel closed his mouth, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Balthazar letting out a small smirk, before the man spoke himself.

   "Their vessels must be true mates. Nothing can usually come in between those - and it seems even an angel's grace." While Gabriel looked contemplative of Balthazar's assessment, this time it was Castiel who fought to avoid rolling his eyes.

   "Even if that were so, that still shouldn't be possible, seeing as my vessel already had a true mate." Castiel pointed out.

   Balthazar merely raised his eyebrows, though, as if Castiel only proved his point. "Yes, _had_. Didn't she die?"

   Castiel bristled at his brother's slight insensitivity. "My vessel's soul along with his mate both did, and yes, they're both in heaven." He couldn't help the small glare at the beta's direction at that, and for his part, the beta managed to look ever so slightly sorry. Slightly.

   "As much as I wanna agree with you guys here," Gabriel sighed, letting out a low whistle. "It still seems like we're stuck with the fact that Cassie here," he spread his hands out to gesture at the alpha. "Just scent bonded with a deeply troubled, mated, omega." Gabriel let out a chuckle, rubbing his hands together. "Oh ho, this sounds like it's gonna be an adventure."

 

oOo

 

   Getting out of the bed hurt like a bitch, the pain highlighted even more so by the fact that not only did his body twinge at every small movement, but also because the bed was just too damn comfortable. The second obstacle to hinder Dean was the fact that he was naked. As in, buck naked, without a single strip of clothing. In a house consisting of a beta, and the smell of an alpha still lingering in the air. It was making Dean even more jumpy than usual, eager to get out of the house, because who knew who else was in the house as well though? Not Dean, that was for sure. His father would be rolling in his grave for that.

   Pushing all thoughts of his father out of his mind, Dean continued on his mission. Foraging in the closet had been Dean's first go to, if it weren't for the fact that he noticed a soft white shirt and black sweatpants neatly folded on the desk near the bed first. While thankful for something clean to wear - and he definitely didn't doubt that his clothes were probably stained to hell with blood - Dean still was disgruntled over the fact that his own clothes were MIA.

   Getting into the pants and shirt was a completely different matter.

   Ten minutes later, with a short reprieve in between where Dean had had to sit down and take several deep breaths so as to not burst out howling in pain, Dean was dressed, albeit barefoot, and finally opening the only window at the bed's headboard. Only to promptly find himself a good few hundred feet up in the air.

   Shit.

   As he was debating on maybe just taking the door instead, the scent of a slightly familiar beta was starting to reach his nose, the sound of the doorknob twisting not far behind. Not letting himself think further after that, Dean jumped.

 

oOo

 

   Balthazar pushed open the door, a tray of food delicately balanced on one hand. While he'd have rather been happy to stay in the sidelines and let the drama unfold in front of of his eyes instead of partaking in the action himself, Gabriel was refusing to reveal his stress by going crazy in the kitchen - a fraction of which was on the tray Balthazar was carrying right now - and Castiel had flown off to most likely one of his many getaways which consisted of open land, nature, and quite possibly, flowers and bees. And as much as Balthazar wished, what the beta had in mind for flowers and bees was definitely not the same meaning for his brother. Either way, it left the beta the only one available to play delivery boy, and he might as well make the most of it. And try to get a better look of the man when conscious who, whether willingly or not, had just signed himself up for some polyamorous action, between a scent bond and a mate bite on his neck and all.

   "I come bearing gifts-" he entered the room, coming to a stop as he regarded its empty state. Carefully sweeping the room with his eyes, he paused his tracking movements, eyebrows climbing his forehead as he observed the open window, a slight breeze coming through.

   "Oh, dear." he muttered to himself. It looked like there was suddenly a lot more action about to unfold, and he was caught smack in the middle of it with his current predicament.

 

oOo

 


	2. Chapter 2

Sweet Stop - Chapter 5

 

  The next few days passed somehow simultaneously in a blur as well as managing to drag out excruciatingly slowly. Unable to camp out in Gabe's cafe like he would normally do, Dean found himself once again holing up in his car, parking under the street lights of whatever dingy alleyway seemed the least likely to lead to Dean's - or Baby's - unfaithful demise.

  He'd have much rather have been on a hunt, Dean decided, wounds or not. At least it would have taken his mind off of things. Like his current living situation, or the fact that his entire body felt like it had gone through a wood chipper and was being held together with Elmer's glue, or even the fact that a third party was suddenly privy to the knowledge that someone was getting the better of Dean. And that last one was definitely lying heavily in his mind.

  So yeah, he could definitely do with a hunt.

  On the bright side - and what must his life have come to, for Dean to even think optimistically in the first place - Alastair hadn't texted or called, and for that, if Dean wasn't of the praying type, he'd have been singing praises to the high heavens.

  With Alastair not calling, and finding himself desperate for a hunt, from going once a day, to twice, Dean found himself desperately roaming the streets thrice a fricking day, a weird heavy feeling in his stomach every time he made a wide detour to avoid going anywhere near  _ Sweet Stop _ , as he stopped by one newspaper stand to the other, even keeping an extra careful ear out at the pubs whenever he needed to refill on some cash, hoping for even the slightest indications to a possible hunt.

  It was during one of these walks that Dean bumped into an alpha, sending the already weakened omega careening to the floor.

  "I apologize!" A deep voice cut through Dean's swearing, strong arms clamping down on the omega's and after a moment of making sure that he was steady on his feet, Dean turned his eyes to meet the alpha, his nerves making him ready for a fight. And that's when the smell struck.

  "You!" He exclaimed, finally getting a good look at the mystery man - who was related to Gabe. Suddenly, despite the wondrous smell of rain and mildew assaulting his nostrils, giving the omega a heady feeling and just wanting to curl up against the alpha's chest and sleep, Dean was instead overwhelmed with the simultaneous urge to turn heel and run as far away from this man as possible.  

  But he was still caught in the man's iron clad grip, and while panic was also threatening to throw Dean into a panic attack - no doubt one that would be loaded with pain - Dean took the opportunity to finally take in the man's features.

  And, damn, if he sure wasn't disappointed.

  After seeing only the alpha's hair from such an angle that all he could really gather from a distance was that it seemed it was never tamed, now, up close Dean was suddenly hit with how soft it truly looked, and its unruliness, as if the man had just rolled out of bed and walked outside, created an entirely new meaning to the ‘just fucked’ look. And Dean was really digging it. With Dean's eyes slowly making its way down to meet the man's eyes... for the second time in the past few weeks, Dean was overcome with the sole thought of  _ blue _ . Deep enough for Dean to get lost in, his eyes were the kind which poems and odes would be written of, describing them to be the windows to the bearer's souls. If a demon was nearby, he'd have happily signed up to get lost within the depth's of this alpha's eyes.

  And just a little below, sharp angular cheekbones accentuating the man's face, smoothly shaved cheeks surrounding plump lips begging to be kissed -

  "Jimmy?" Those wonderful blue eyes narrowed as they regarded Dean, the alpha's eyes sweeping the omega's face, similar to how the latter was checking out the former mere moments ago. The alpha's nostrils suddenly flared, visibly scenting the air - and Dean's scent along with it - but the hunter abruptly tensed. Sure, the name was his alibi, but it was the same alibi that he used pretty much everywhere here - including with Gabe - and for those who knew his true self. And right now, whoever knew his true self, or Gabe, it pretty much spelled out unwanted trouble for Dean.

  "Maybe." Dean said, squirming as he tried to get out of the alpha's grip, but shit, if the man wasn't insanely strong, despite being a of couple of inches shorter. Damn alphas - but even this dude's grip bested the strongest of them, Dean thought, the panic initially kept at bay returning returning with full force, ready to toss Dean into a panic attack any second now...

  "It is you - you disappeared on us!" The man exclaimed, and Dean was momentarily distracted by his panic with the man's words, confusion filling him instead.

  "Us?" He asked, his eyes narrowing. At the same time, he couldn't help but pointedly look down at the alpha's grips on his arms, hoping the man would take notice. Sure enough, after the man followed Dean's own gaze to his arms, he immediately let go, looking slightly flustered and apologetic as he let his arms slowly drop down to his sides. But he was still standing far too close that, should the two men inhale at the same time, their chests would brush against each other - and yeah, definitely time to take a step or three back.

  The alpha cleared his throat, looking away before meeting Dean's eyes again. 

  "My brother, Gabriel. When I had... found you last night, it was Balthazar who suggested taking you back to our home to help treat you better. But apparently, you took to the fire escape before eating dinner." The alpha's eyes pinned Dean in place, those deep blue eyes swirling in Dean's head, a few seconds passing before the omega was able to clear up his mind well enough to reply. By the time he was tuning back into their conversation, he wondered too late if the alpha was trying to guilt trip him for his precious night’s actions, which, no way was Dean letting that happen.

  "Yeah, uh..." Dean frowned, the alpha's words taking their oh so sweet time to register in his head. "Wait.  _ Gabriel _ ? You mean Gabe?" The omega asked.

  The man tilted his head, opening his mouth to reply, but then hesitating. "I... Yes. Our father was rather... religious." He sounded like he was stating a rehearsed statement, though Dean couldn't fathom why. "Hence, for obvious reasons, my brothers chose to be referred to by their shortened names in public."

  Dean frowned. He hadn't exactly been thinking about that, but he had to admit, the explanation was useful. "You guys look nothing alike." He instead said aloud.

  The alpha smiled thinly, yet remained silent.

  Dean blinked. "Right." Swallowing, he took another step back. "Well, it was nice meeting you..." his voice trailed off, suddenly realizing he didn't even know this alpha with the aphrodisiac of a scent’s name, who apparently was also the one to see Dean blacking out in a dirty alleyway. Fan-friggin-tastic, wasn't he, with first impressions.

  The man must have come to the same realization as well, and visibly hastened to reply. "Castiel!" He exclaimed, his eyes widening marginally, taking a step forward so that the distance was yet again shortened between the two men. "My name is Castiel."

  Dean stared. "Casti - Yeah. Ok. Nice meeting you, Cas _ tiel _ , but I'm just gonna go and." He gestured behind him with his thumb, already starting to turn away. Despite having been already let go of, and desperately trying to maintain some semblance of a distance between this Castiel dude, the guy wasn't helping his situation whatsoever, continuously standing within his personal space and just ensuring that Dean was basking in the man's scent. So yeah, he really needed to get the hell out of dodge and get a lid on himself before he literally started drooling.

  "Wait!"

  Clenching his teeth, and trying not to growl aloud or flare his nostrils with his next inhalation out of instinct, the omega reluctantly turned around, masking his genuine uneasiness by cocking an eyebrow and throwing a lazy smirk at the man's direction.

  "Would you... at least accompany for some coffee?" Castiel asked. "My brother's establishment is not far from here." Castiel stated, and though the man was pretty good at not showing it, Dean could sense the nervousness practically radiating off the man.

  Dean sighed. With the man practically throwing those damn puppy eyes good enough to rival Sa- looking like that at him... who was he to resist?

  And yeah, the man's scent had nothing to do with anything, whatsoever. Nope.

oOo 

  It had been an almost uncomfortably silent walk to Gabe's cafe, at least on the omega's part. The entire time, he kept throwing sidelong glances at the alpha, expecting him to say something, anything, but the man was resolutely silent. Even if he knew Dean was occasionally staring at him, he didn't acknowledge it, merely staring straight ahead - and giving Dean free reign to ogle the alpha all he wanted. Though he didn't. 

  It was when they entered  _ Sweet Stop _ that Castiel finally spoke, and it was only to ask what Dean wished to eat, and to go ahead and pick a spot to eat while he brought their orders over.

  Not necessarily happy at being ordered around, Dean found himself following it anyway, if only to be able to a good seat at a booth near the back of the cafe, sitting with his back to the walls and facing the door. While he waited for the alpha, he desperately kept his gaze down this time, trying to avoid meeting any possible interactions with Gabe and to also avoid looking directly out the window by him - just in case. Who knew who decided to pass by right at this time, because god only knew Dean’s luck was just that shitty.

  "Black coffee, no milk, one sugar, just as you asked, with a slice of today's special pie." Castiel said, setting down a cup and a plate with a slice of pie and a small spoon delicately balanced on the latter in from of Dean, giving said pie a distrustful look. If Dean wasn't a fan of Gabe's pies and knew the guy well enough to know that whatever was being sold was totally worth being out there, then he could kind of understand what the guy was getting at - for example, today's pie was completely black. Including the crust.

  Dean raised an eyebrow at the man's empty hands as he seated himself across the omega. "Nothing for you?" He asked.

  "Gabriel tends to... take advantage of our relation by giving me his experimental concoctions."

  Dean blinked, a smirk slowly building up on his face. "So you're his guinea pig?"

  Castiel squinted his eyes, his ear tilting to the side - and damn, Dean shouldn't find that as adorable as he did.

  "I don't understand. Last I checked, I was not a guinea pig."

  Dean chuckled, shoving a spoonful of pie in his mouth. Oh god, despite its color, it tasted  _ amazing _ \- and it looked like black rhubarb pie was given a whole new definition as well. "Nice joke." He looked up, and blanched when he was met with the other man's still blank face. "You're... not joking." He stated, after swallowing the food in his mouth, disbelief coloring his tone. Raising his eyebrows again, he gave a small shake of his head. "Dude. It's an expression - like, lab rats or something, I guess? But instead a guinea pig - and you know what, nevermind." he cut himself off when the alpha's confused look only steadily increased.

  Dean sighed, taking a sip of his coffee before he leaned back.

  "So. Cas _ tiel _ ," he said, drawing out the name. The man in question straightened his posture, looking intently at the omega, making the hunter fight to not look away. "You, Gab _ riel, _ " he said, emphasizing the name again. "So every single one of you weren't able to escape your father's wrath of unfortunate names - for the modern century anyway?" Internally, he started chastising himself. What a great subject to start talking about, borderline offending the guy’s family and himself. But really, anything was better than that night, and Dean had been getting a bit desperate to rapidly lead the conversation before the alpha could, and take it in that direction himself.

  "I... no. Many of us have... highly religious names. As you would be able to tell by Gabriel, Balthazar, and my names." Castiel started, but then Dean cut him off, slightly coughing as he swallowed another bite of his pie a bit too early.  

  "Wait - you mean Balt?" It abruptly registered in Dean's mind that the alpha had already mentioned the other beta as well. "Jesus, is everyone in this entire town under pseudo names and related?" Dean exclaimed.

  Again, the man narrowed his eyes, but thankfully he saved Dean by avoiding tilting his head again, or this was going to get really awkward for the omega. "No. Only these two of my brothers are in... town."

  "You have more siblings?"

  "Yes, very many, unfortunately. And like I was saying earlier, most of us have what you would consider unusual names, I suppose. Apart from a couple of my sisters, Anna and... Hannah," Dean quirked an eyebrow at that. "And I suppose... Michael would have some semblance of an... ordinary name, despite his namesake." There was a flash of something in Castiel's eyes at that, and if Dean didn't know better, he'd have sworn it was dry amusement, even though he had yet to see the man actually even crack a smile as of yet.

  Whistling, Dean was saved from having to come up with a retort as a cup was set down in front of Castiel, but when Gabe - Gab _ riel _ , apparently - slid into the booth beside the alpha, making him scoot over to give him space, the omega immediately regretted ever even stepping foot in here. The feeling increased once Gabriel fixed his gaze steadily on him.

  "So, Jimmy. Fancy seeing you here."

  Dean picked up his cup, taking a long drink to avoid having to answer for as long as possible, but inevitably, and just his luck, he ran out of coffee within moments.

  "Yeah well, bumped into your brother. Thought it would be nice to reacquaint myself with your family tree, seeing as you neglected to mention that you're related to half the people in town." His words, while possibly harsh, was softened by Dean's almost abashed tone, and the omega found himself actually meeting the beta's gaze, trying to convey how truly apologetic he was for practically running out on the man, and how grateful he still was for the beta's hospitality. Thankfully, the man must have gotten the message, because his face softened in return.

  "I wouldn't say half the town," Gabe said, letting his usual smile cover his face. "More like a decent portion."

  Dean chuckled, finally feeling himself relax as he allowed himself to finish his pie, his eyes sliding over to Castiel. The guy was staring morosely at his cup that Dean couldn’t help but wonder if he really did find a dead guinea pig in there or something, before he cringed at his own morbid thought.

  "You okay there, buddy?"

  Castiel immediately snapped his head up at the sound of Dean's voice addressing of him, and for a moment the omega couldn't breathe at just how damn  _ blue _ those friggin’ eyes were -

  "Yes. However, I'd have been better if I didn't have to learn that it is possible to include genuine chilli in chai. Gabriel, I think you were close to another success, but I fear you put far too much chili powder than an average human could tolerate. Even the milk did nothing to counterbalance the ingredient, what with the large difference in ratio." The last part was directed to the beta, who was looking distinctly horrified.

  "Ah, shit. I knew I should have been paying better attention. Sorry, brother."

  The alpha merely shook his head, looking back at his cup, which he now carefully set on the table and placed his hands under it, indicating clearly that he most likely wasn't going to consume any more of it anytime soon.

  Dean looked at the cup, then back at Castiel. "You... practically killed your tongue on an overdose of chili and didn't say a thing the entire time?" He wasn't sure if he was concerned or surprised, but he had a feeling his face was showing a mix of the two and hence pulled itself into a weird contortion as a result. "Dude, that's... awesome. I think."

  Ignoring the weird look Gabe was giving them, Castiel replied to Dean coolly. "Apparently, I have a good poker face. And even better self control."

  Dean chuckled, looking back at the cup and wondering if he dared trying it, before quickly tossing the thought. It wasn't like Castiel was a close friend or anything for them to share cups, or Dean to turn that into an innuendo that was practically begging for it anyway.

  "I'll say." He answered, a bit subdued instead.

  A silence descended on the trio, yet somehow, it didn't feel as awkward as when Dean and Castiel were making their way to  _ Sweet Stop _ . A moment later, Gabe startled the two by standing up, clapping a hand on Castiel's shoulder.

  "Well. I should be checking out my stocks. You two get back to enjoying your date!" He bounced away, leaving Dean to fluster around, as he stuttered.

  "We weren't - we aren't on a date!" He hissed, before turning his deathly glare at the alpha. For his part, the man looked just as confused, before he abruptly raised his hands in a placating gesture when he noticed Dean looking at him dangerously.

  "I had no such intentions when inviting you, I assure you, Jimmy."

  Relaxing, but only marginally, Dean took a deep breath. The entire booth was starting to smell like panicked omega, and while people were usually immune to their own scents, Dean was already long trained to be able to scent his own - at least when it was being too strong and noticeable.

  "Right, well. I need to get going as well. It's getting late." He stated, slightly surprised to see the sun starting to set from outside the window.

  "It was nice meeting you though, Castiel."

  He got up, and stopped when the alpha stood up as well, the table shaking precariously for a moment before the other man steadied it with a touch.

  "Wait." When he didn't say anything, Dean gave him an expectant look, still not walking out of the booth as he waited expectantly for the man to continue speaking.

  "I just wanted to say. I trust you know where our home is, and even if not there, I'm either almost always here or at Balthazar's. Basically, I just wanted to say, that... if you're ever finding yourself in trouble, please don't hesitate to come find me - or even my brothers. We'd be more than willing to help you in any way we can."

  Taken aback, Dean found himself unable to reply, his eyes widening in surprise before he managed to speak again, carefully exiting from the booth before he proceeded to do so.

  "Uh, yeah. Thanks for that." Unable to meet Castiel's eyes, he started to walk towards the exit, but after taking a few steps, he paused, wondering how wise the actions of what he was about to do now was.

  "And Cas?" Without looking back, he let a small smile grace his lips, not really paying attention to Gabe cheerily taking orders from a child, eagerly clinging to her mother as she pointed at the various colorful array of bakery items.

  "My name isn't Jimmy... it's Dean."

oOo

Sweet Stop - Chapter 6

 

  For the rest of that night, as he easily hustled his way through a game of pool with some cocky looking college students, Castiel's words weighed heavily on his mind. 

  " _ If you're ever finding yourself in trouble, please don't hesitate to come find me - or even my brothers. We'd be more than willing to help you in any way we can _ ."

  Sure, the man readily took him in once, but what Dean was going through... even if he could afford going into a clinic without worrying about the possible repercussions, the doctors there would possibly get seriously frustrated with how Dean was letting himself getting beaten up this much, or they'd sic some sort of security services on him, not to undoubtedly mention a psych who would think they knew everything wrong with Dean and put him under the 'abuse by mate' section. What's to say those three brothers wouldn't do something similar anyway?

  So by the time he was a few hundred dollars richer, Dean had made up his mind. Yes, it was nice to have proper treatment to his wounds for once, and after a long time too, but he couldn't let himself get used to it. He wasn't gonna let himself get all independent on someone, who'd inevitably get tired of Dean as well, and then proceed to pull the rug out from under his feet just when he thought he was getting comfortable. No, once was fun, but it was also enough. And besides, if they knew how often he'd 'need help', the omega didn't think he'd be able to look them in the eye ever again. Dean truly enjoyed Gabe’s pies too much for that. Plus, he didn't think he'd be able to get stuff like angel's feathers anywhere else as easily as opposed to when getting them from Balt.

  So yeah. He was good.

  And just as he made that decision, walking out of the bar with a wave to Adam - the guy tending at the bar today and looking like he was barely of age himself - and towards his car, his heart for some reason as heavy as his pockets, his phone vibrated, alerting Dean to an incoming call.

  Shit.

  Swallowing, Dean fumbled with his keys, trying to get into his car as soon as possible before taking the call. As soon as he got in, he took a deep breath, shaky hands taking the cell out his jacket. There was only one person who would be calling him, and sure enough -

  " _ Hello Dean _ ."

  He clenched his teeth, willing his voice to come out steady when he spoke. "Alastair."

  " _ I trust you're free? _ "

  God, how he hated that voice. "Would it make a difference if I wasn't?" He snapped, and immediately paled, biting his tongue hard enough for it to hurt.

  The sound of chuckling came through the phone. " _ Careful, Dean. I thought I already taught you what your insolence could cost you? _ "

  "I-" Dean cringed, hating every fiber of his being at that moment. "I'm... sorry. It won't happen again, I swear." He said, his voice quieting.

  Alastair hummed, the phone briefly crackling as the demon's air went through his microphone. " _ As it is, it looks like you still need some relearning. Same place, 10 PM. _ " The line went dead.

  For a moment, Dean stayed frozen in place, his phone still against his ear. And then he snapped.

  Throwing his phone against the dashboard, he let out an anguished yell, slamming his fists against the steering wheel, relentlessly throwing punch after punch, a heavy growl emanating from his chest before another yell broke free again.

  Minutes passed before Dean's punching came to a slow stop, his movements slowing before his hands loosened, slapping the wheel a few more times before he let his head fall against it, tears streaming his face as he took deep, shuddering breaths.    

  Once he was calm, Dean lifted his head, wiping away the tears from his face with disgust at himself. Wiping his wet palms against his jeans, he took his phone from the dashboard, trusting the flip phone to still be intact despite his harsh treatment to it, unlike those fancy new touch screen phones that instantaneously cracked against the slightest pressure. Opening it up, Dean glanced at the time displayed at the corner of the screen. He couldn't even bring himself to feel anything when he saw the time, only enough left for him to get to the warehouse if he left now. Pocketing his phone, he emptied his pockets of the cash he’d hustled, making sure to count it one more time before, with one last bout of hesitancy, he opened the door, rounding the car to approach the back of it. Popping the trunk open, then the false bottom, he took out his duffle, placing the money inside and swapping it for his pill bottles. Quickly swallowing one from each, he put away the bottles before starting on disarming himself from the usual weaponry he was always careful to carry around on his person with shaky hands.  

  Disarmed and nothing else left to do, Dean closed the trunk door with a slam, his actions going on autopilot. He wasn't going to delay any longer - he already paid the price for that, and Dean was already in enough trouble for tonight. It was time to leave.

oOo

  By midnight, Dean was seriously rethinking his decision to avoid Castiel. Limping towards his car, it took every last nerve in the omega's body to not fall. While Alastair was careful not to hurt him to the extent as he did last time - but saying that it was only because he was going to call on Dean earlier this time instead of after almost a week - he still hadn't been joking when he said he was going to teach Dean a lesson again. And yeah, the lesson was well and truly taught - Dean didn't think he was gonna be able to talk ever again. 

  Thankfully, he managed to reach his car this time, and with a wince, he carefully unlocked and opened the driver's side door, trying not to jostle his torso too much.

  Seating himself inside with a pinched expression on his face, he let out a deep breath when his body met the seat of his car, his face ever so slightly losing its tightness. Reaching outward to close and lock the car door, he groaned when the action pulled on his muscles. Taking several more deep breaths, he slowly tried to relax his muscles, before he started to move his body inch by inch until his legs were propped up on the bench, leaning against the door.

  It took several agonizingly long minutes filled with excruciating pain before he eventually fell asleep in the same position.

oOo

  When Castiel had uttered those words to Jimmy -  _ Dean _ \- he had truly meant each and every single word from his heart. And yet, when a day passed without hearing or seeing the man, and then another, and another, the angel felt himself growing increasingly concerned. 

  "Relax, brother," Balthazar said, walking past him as he carried a boxful of jars filled with - something. Castiel wasn't keen on looking too closely. "He's probably just on a hunt. He's still a hunter, you realize." His voice grew slightly muffled as he walked on deeper into the store.

  Castiel sighed, looking down at the book opened in front of him, dragging his finger over the wooden counter top. For all that he had been automatically flipping the pages after his eyes went through each word on both pages, he hadn't actually absorbed any of the information given.

  "And yet, he hasn't been in here to collect any ingredients from you." He pointed out, not bothering raising his voice, knowing that the angel would hear him even if he sent the message across through their minds.

  "He doesn't always come in, you know." Balthazar replied, his head poking out to briefly meet Castiel's eyes before he ducked back to wherever he was standing, hidden behind another wooden shelf. A few light  _ klinks _ were heard as the beta emptied the boxful of jars into the shelf, before he returned to Castiel with the now empty box in his hands. "It's only whenever he requires ingredients for a spell or a weapon to kill a monster of the rare type. But there are other monsters out there that don't require costly weaponry, or even any kind of spells for its complete and...  _ final _ , destruction." Balthazar reasoned, easily folding the cardboard box before depositing it where a stack of the flattened boards was starting to grow.

  "I know that." He sighed, lifting his finger and inspecting it. As usual, there wasn't a trace of dirt to be found - neither on his vessel or the countertop. "But I still feel... unsettled." He didn't miss the weird look Balthazar threw him at that.

  "What?"

  With a sigh, the man came to a stop besides Castiel, leaning against the counter. "Are you sure it's not because you, you know, scent bonded?"

  Castiel looked away, definitely feeling uneasy now. "And there's another thing." He uttered softly. "The scent bond."

  Balthazar opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, the door to his store opened. Both the Angels' heads snapped up to see who the newcomer was, but the moment the person set foot into the store, Castiel no longer needed his eyes to know who it was. That didn’t stop him from taking the sight in front of him hungrily.

  "Dean." He whispered, unable to stop inhaling the omega's scent. After that day in his brother's cafe with such prolonged exposure to the omega's scent, the alpha found himself unable to prevent himself from longing for more, and the days apart had only intensified the desire. Now, with Dean's scent practically slamming against the alpha's nose, it was all Castiel could do to stop himself from jumping up and rushing to the omega, to pin him and press his nose against his neck and -

  He needed to stop that thought. Right there.

  What was even wrong with him? First off - it wasn't even possible to  _ bond _ \- of any kind - with someone already mated - and second, Castiel was an Angel! He wasn't supposed to bond - period!

  "Hey, guys." Dean's voice was raspy, his face pale and drawn, deep bags under his eyes. On a passer by, if he were to make an initial guess he would have said the man was severely unwell, close to being on death's doorstep if he was to exaggerate in manner similar to his brothers. But he knew, Castiel  _ knew _ , that this was somehow caused by that mate of Dean's, and the thought of that made the alpha to grow furious so abruptly that he started growling.

  "Woah, there, Cassie. Heel, boy!" A hand suddenly clamped down on the alpha's shoulder, and he jumped in surprise, blinking as he regained control of his senses. Looking around, he cringed when he saw Dean looked at him with surprise and... a tinge of fear.

  "Dean, I apologize." Castiel said immediately, standing up but not daring to cross over the counter to stand beside Dean. "I... don't know what came over me."

  Dean shot him a look of disbelief, but it was Balthazar who voiced the man's expression, much to Castiel's chagrin.

  "Yes, but we sure do. Even as a beta, I could just smell all that protective alpha pheromones coming off of you."

  Castiel closed his eyes, refraining himself from slamming his head against the nearest surface. He suddenly found himself understanding and sympathizing with why humans were prone to that particular action.

  "Ignoring my brother, I still apologize for scaring you."

  Dean let out a weak chuckle.

  "Yeah, nah. It's cool. Kinda caught me off guard, though, I'll give you that." he said, walking over to stand directly on the other side of the counter. And yeah, that would have been really bad, except -

  Castiel's eyes widened, immediately opening his mouth to ask Dean, but undoubtedly seeing the look on his face, Dean hurried to speak first.

  "Look, can we just - can we talk?" He asked, his words coming out in a rush as he stared directly at Castiel, not acknowledging Balthazar at all, who was standing to the side. Dean’s shoulders were starting to hunch, as if he was trying to curl in on himself, and with his eyes zeroing in on the movement, Castiel found himself easily replying without hesitation.

  "Of course, Dean. Give me a moment to collect my things?" He asked, and Dean nodded, a look of relief gracing his features.

  "Yeah, I'll... wait outside." Without another word, he left before Castiel could protest, and though he wished he could, he didn't anyway, because he needed to do something first.

  Picking up his book, he turned to look at his brother. "He's injured." He stated without preamble, and Balthazar raised his eyebrows, as if to state that, of course he didn't miss that. Despite being a beta, he was still also an angel with the senses of one, yet he mercifully didn't provide the verbal retort.

  "Yes. So I'll expect you two to go home and get him fixed up again?"

  Castiel's gaze didn't waver. "Do you expect of anything else from us?"

  "Well, I'd hope you two would magically pair up and fuck like bunnies but -"

  "Goodbye, Balthazar."

oOo

Sweet Stop - Chapter 7

 

  This time, they took Dean's car back to Castiel's suite. Although it was silent, Dean easily taking the turns without any prompting from Castiel indicating that he clearly knew where the suite was, Castiel was well distracted by his thoughts throughout the ride. 

  Dean - and that's what his name was, not Jimmy. Looking at the man now, Castiel felt it much more befitting for the hunter. The man was silent, his face almost pensive as he drove, his gaunt, pallor appearance making him look practically battle worn. And he most likely was, Castiel mused. He was going through a battle with dealing with whatever his mate was doling out, and for whatever reason, despite being a hunter, the man was still sticking with his mate. He wondered if the omega was suffering from some sort of psychological disorder - Stockholm Syndrome, Castiel guessed, if anything - or if there were far more intricate reasons for the man to stay. Perhaps the mate was also suffering from something, and the omega found himself unable to leave out of some sort of messed up sense of loyalty?

  His mind buried in such thoughts, Castiel was almost startled to find that they had reached the gate of his suite already, Dean looking at him expectantly. Telling him the code, he waited until they entered before proceeding to show where Dean to park his car, before they finally made their way into the building. This time, Castiel took the lead, the omega on his heels. He was aware that the hunter was taking in his surroundings from behind him, seeing as the last time he was here, he was directly flown into the suite thanks to Castiel, and left via the fire escape for his exit. When the elevator doors finally opened directly into Castiel's suite, Dean let out a low whistle.

  "Dude, I get that your brothers own their own stores and all that shit, but I didn't realize that was enough to get a place like this." The omega was visibly impressed as he took in his surroundings. Trying to look at it from the hunter's perspective, Castiel looked around his current home, taking in all the tiny details once again after ignoring them after all these years of living there.

  And alright, he could see where the man was coming from. Dark wooden floors polished until they were gleaming, the large hall area furnished with black leather sofas, a genuine bear skin rug at the center and under a heavy glass table, the seating set to face a large, branded flat screen TV, mounted on the beige colored wall above a grand fireplace. To the right of it, the entire wall was instead replaced with a floor-to-ceiling window, which led to the balcony, housing a large swimming pool enclosed within a variety of plants that Castiel himself grew, and also garnering some semblance of even more privacy. Beyond, the city lights gleamed in the night, stars vaguely visibly in the sky. Back to within the building, straight ahead of the duo was a short hallway leading to the kitchen to the left, and the dining room on the right, a sort of entertainment room for all intents and purposes straight ahead, filled with all the knick knacks and other miscellaneous items Balthazar and Gabriel procured were arranged. Right in the middle of the hallway was a grand, spiraling staircase leading upwards, where all the bedrooms and rooms for other purposes were.

  Yes, Castiel could definitely see that it was quite exquisite, even without having to look at it with a fresh eye. Having Balthazar as a living partner tended to bring in an extravagant lifestyle.

  Which is what he told Dean. "If there's one thing you should know about Balthazar, is that he's quite attracted to fancy names and labels and brands." He explained shortly, to which Dean raised an eyebrow.

  "So that's where all the ridiculous amounts of money I spend on fairy shit and goblin's drool goes?"

  Castiel shot the man a pained smile, as if to agree. Better let the man to just think that instead of telling him that half the things here hadn't even existed until Balthazar furnished their suite - or if they did, there definitely hadn’t been any money spent towards it.

  Castiel started to walk towards the dining room, knowing the omega would follow him, and he continued to stay silent, not really sure what to say until they reached the guest bathroom.

  Turning around to face the omega, the alpha prepared himself to deal with what was to come - while he had no qualms with being blunt as usual, he still wondered if Gabriel happened to be here anyway, if to at least help with being a lot more emphatic with the other man's situation. The hope didn’t even take root what with the knowledge that none of his brothers were going to be at home for a while. Which left it all to Castiel to be the one to have to monitor what he was going to say.

  "You're hurt." Castiel said, intending to push onwards, but at the sudden surprise appearing on Dean's face with the abruptness of the situation, he made the split second decision to change tactics. "There is a first aid kit in the bathroom, but I feel it would be better if I could help - only if you wanted me to - in case there are wounds you might have trouble reaching or healing by yourself." Castiel said hesitantly. A strange look appeared on Dean's face, looking as if he was almost faintly amused, before he turned to look at the closed bathroom door, sighing.

  "I'll uh... I can take care of it." Even as Castiel started nodding, not really expecting anything different, the man went on anyway. "But if I need help..."

  "I'll be waiting here." Castiel immediately filled in, and then paused as he reconsidered what he said. He highly doubted that the omega would appreciate Castiel lingering in the hallway outside the bathroom. "That is... I'll be waiting... not too far," he mended, tone unsure, eyes darting around the hallway before clearing his throat. "Just call me if you need me." He finished, not meeting Dean's eyes as he decided to just leave before he embarrassed one of them any further. But before he left, he was pretty sure he caught a look of definite amusement on Dean's face anyway. At least Castiel could tell that that was a positive sign.

oOo

  When Dean had agreed to letting Castiel help him, he hadn't been actually planning on taking the alpha up on his offer. The only reason he even acquiesced to it was because despite the man's damn good poker face, he still felt as if the alpha was disappointed to be unable to care for him - which okay, just seriously weird. 

  But now, standing in front of the mirror and twisting around and trying to get a good look at his back, Dean swore, barely keeping his volume in check. His entire back was covered in welts, and while that would have been perfectly alright on another day, the previous week's wounds, which had only just begun to heal, were now opened up and starting to leak pus.  

  Dean swore one more time with vehemence, cursing his existence, before he collapsed on the closed toilet seat, letting his head drop in his hands even as he hissed into his palms. He was going to need the alpha's help after all, but fuck if he wasn't going to treat the more... personal ones by himself first.

  Sincerely hoping the man wouldn't mind, Dean stripped off his pants as well, letting it fall into a heap on the floor to deal with later, before climbing into the spacious bathtub, and drawing the shower curtains. When he started to reach for the dial to turn on the shower, he paused as he took in the multiple knobs in front of him.

  Well, this was going to be fun.

  And ten minutes later, which were decidedly  _ not _ a fun ten minutes, Dean finally let himself lean against the tiled walls, the water beating on him at a steady, relaxing pressure, a cool relief for his tense muscles. They had only tightened further when a jet of water burst from the bottom of the bathtub and blasted him in the nuts when he tried twisting one particular knob, but now that was slipping away from his body as well. After having hastily turned it off - trying with all his might to not yell aloud and maybe failing just a bit - Dean made a mental note to stay the fuck away from that particular knob.

  Now, with the water rinsing away the dirt and blood from his body, and not assaulting any more of his delicate bits, Dean started to reach behind him to clean himself up, tears streaming down his face as he turned to let the wall now in front of him take the most of his weight. His fingers probed gently to push out the disgusting mix of dried blood and come, grunting and groaning as he pushed at his torn muscles. When he finally finished, he placed both hands on the wall, and just let the water beat on him relentlessly, taking deep breaths as Dean tried to calm down.

  When the water started getting cold, Dean pushed himself to move, pruning hands reaching to turn off the water - thankfully without any more incidents - and with great reluctance, and pain, Dean climbed his way out of the bathtub, only to realize that he didn't bring a change of clothes. Groaning in frustration, the hunter collapsed on the toilet seat again, deciding to at least take care of his wounds first, but then realizing the ones left that needed tending to were the infected ones on his back. Biting back on a few choice words, Dean stood up, wrapping a towel around his waist and gathering his clothes in his hands, making sure the stained parts were covered, before cautiously opening the door.

  "Hey, uh, Cas?" He called out, not stepping out of the bathroom just yet.

  "In here, Dean!" Hearing the man reply, he made his way out of the bathroom, one hand clutching his clothes and the other having a death grip on his towel. Following the sound of where the alpha's voice came from, he walked down the hallway, coming to a stop at the only open door, where the man himself was standing by the bed, looking down at it, but his gaze cloudy, as if lost in thought. It was the same room that Dean was in the last time, and apart from a set of folded clothes this time lying on the bed, nothing much had changed.

  "I, uh... need some help with my back." Dean said stiffly. The alpha immediately snapped his head up, meeting Dean's eyes before falling to the clothes in his arm.

  "Let me take that. I'll put it in the wash for you. You can... change into the pants until then. I will come back with the first aid kit." 

  His tone stilted, Castiel made his way to the door, pausing as Dean moved out of the his way before continuing. As the alpha passed him, the omega found himself almost going cross eyed as the smell of the air, staticky akin to when prior to lightning striking, combined with the smell of freshly mowed grass hit him full on before disappearing along with the man when he exited the room. Shaking his head, Dean fought to hold back a... growl? with the smell gone, and instead made his way to the clothes. Unfolding them, he found a soft grey sweatshirt this time, along with black sweatpants equally soft to the touch. Grateful of the man's consideration, whether knowingly or not, Dean closed the door before he let the towel drop, slowly pulling on the pants and wincing every single time he moved and pulled on one sore muscle or the other. When he was finally wearing the plants, he was breathing heavily, and the only thing he could do was collapse on the bed, barely remembering to keep himself seated. If he were to lay down now, Dean knew he wasn't gonna get up anytime soon for sure. 

  "Dean?" A soft knock resounded on the door, and the omega turned to look to it.

   "It's open." 

  The door swung inwards, Castiel slowly coming inside with a white first aid kit in his hand. Leaving the door open, he stood a well enough distance away before he addressed Dean again. 

  "May I?" 

  God this man was infuriating. Not only did he smell  _ heavenly _ to the omega's nose, despite Dean being mated, - to a demon - he was so frigging polite as well. It was so weird to be treated with such politeness - even after feeling like Dean was overstaying his welcome and the hospitality Cas was willing to offer, and yet, the look on Cas’s face was so genuine, it was also kinda freaking Dean out. The omega was honestly unsure of what he had ever done in his life to receive this sort of decency  _ now _ . 

  "Go ahead." Dean made a vague gesture towards his back before pausing. "Do you... want me to lie down?"

  "It would be far easier for both of us, but if it makes you uncomfortable, then you don't have to." Castiel replied evenly, and again, Dean was struck with this man's politeness. And the man's sex voice, which so unfair. But he had a point, in both ways. It would be easier on both of them - especially Dean, who was particularly looking forward to when he could be stretched out on the bed - and no, not like that, don't think about that now, please abort that train of thought, stop it dammit - but the thought of turning his back on anyone, especially an alpha he barely knew, and when he was at such a vulnerable state...

  "Like I said, we can do it just like this." Castiel broke into Dean's thoughts, possibly sensing what Dean was thinking. Either that, or the omega had unconsciously let out a bit of panic to underline the air. As it was, Dean steeled himself before shaking his head. 

  "Nah, it's fine. I'll lie down."

  Standing up, Dean made his way to the side of the bed, climbing on from there before he straightened himself out. When he started to carefully lower his front to the bed - because it wasn't just his back that was hurt, though it was the only one far more grievously injured - he heard the alpha starting to come forward, when suddenly the scent of angry alpha filled the room. 

  "What the-"

  He turned on his side, cringing at the pain the sudden movement brought, but continued anyway to look at the alpha, who while initially looked so angry - his face caught in an angry snarl as he bared his teeth, his canine teeth naturally sharpened for mating glinting in the light as it extended further - that it caught Dean off guard, it quickly morphed into a slightly apologetic expression as he retracted his canines to it's normal size. 

  "I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to get so visibly angry - but I promise it wasn't at you." Castiel hastened to explain. "I was just..." Castiel took a deep breath, his eyes closing as he came to sit on the bed, a good distance away from the hunter, but Dean still refused to let down his guard right now. "I was angry at the thought of whomever decided it was alright to treat you this way."

  At that, Dean blinked, caught off guard again. 

  Unsure of what to say, he could only lay himself cautiously back on the bed on his stomach silently, offering his back for treatment. The alpha also stayed silent, for which Dean was thankful for, as Castiel began his ministrations of healing the omega's torn up and infected back. 

oOo

Sweet Stop - Chapter 8

 

  At first, Dean had entertained a brief notion on the fact that he was about to have Castiel's hands on him, and the possible outcomes that could lead to - at least from Dean's side. No matter what, he wasn't going to jump the man, or so he kept trying to convince himself - especially when it looked like the alpha was barely attracted to Dean himself. But when the man first started cleansing the pus from Dean's back, he found himself gritting his teeth to avoid letting out any sounds of pain, his hands tightly clutching on to the bed spread by his sides. However, Castiel was never too hard or forceful with his touch, the entire time his hands gentle as he methodically cleaned, disinfected - that part stinging like a motherfucker so much so that Dean couldn't help the whimper that escaped him, to which immediately the alpha let out calming pheromones. While it did what it was intended to, when the omega turned his head to look back at the alpha, he seemed almost sheepish, as if he hadn't meant to let that happen, which was unusual to say the least - and wrapped up Dean's wounds, and by the time he was taping up the last bandage, the omega was feeling so wrung out and exhausted, that he was ready to fall asleep as soon as the alpha left. As if sensing this, Castiel didn't linger when he was done, instead neatly putting away the first aid kit before getting up and making his way to the door. 

  "Get some rest, Dean. I'll get you some painkillers, but please. This time, I request for you to stay for dinner. If you must insist on leaving, then by all means do so - from the front door. I would highly advise against the fire escape under any circumstances that weren't an actual fire, especially with the nature of your back." Castiel said, his voice soft, before he finally left the room, shutting the door behind him. 

  Dean let out an embarrassed groan as he slammed his face against the pillow, and then letting the object swallow up his pained grunt that followed at that movement. 

  Screw that cocky bastard. And no, not literally - goddamn it,  _ brain _ ! 

oOo

  After taking the pills that the alpha shortly returned with, Dean was able to lay down much more peacefully, and within moments he had fallen asleep. His dreams, however, weren't as peaceful, and forced him awake what felt like only minutes later, sweat pouring down his face as he pushed himself upright and then twisted to seat himself to face the bedroom door. Despite still climbing through the last vestiges of his nightmare, even Dean could smell that the room was starting to stink like a panicked omega. Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep any more, Dean got off the bed completely, pulling on the sweatshirt the alpha had provided him, greatly thankful when it seemed like the painkillers were still in effect, else he surely wouldn't have been able to even get it on with as much as ease as he did. Though Dean knew that once the painkillers wore off, he'd be back to feeling the pain to full effect. 

  Walking down the hallway and making his way down the stairs, Dean took a moment to pause and cautiously sniff at the air. And then again when his mouth started watering. Now completely focused on the thoughts of food, Dean crossed through the dining room and made his way into the kitchen, coming to a stop and leaning against the granite island when he was met with alpha's back, the man busily preparing something in front of the stove, no doubt the root of the aroma filling Dean's senses. 

  Castiel paused in his stirring, his head tilting up and Dean knew he was scenting the air. Turning around, he didn't seem surprised to see Dean, instead looking concerned. 

  "Your smell is different."

  ...Huh?

  Taken aback, Dean was left gaping as he tried to come up with a reply, but was too confused to think of anything. Damn, this man was just proving himself to be more and more prone to rendering Dean speechless, which not many people was usually able to accomplish. 

  "Sorry, no, not in a bad way." Castiel narrowed his eyes, his head tilting to the side again as he tried to backtrack. "Just... more comfortable. I don't remember you ever smelling like that in all the times I've been around you, brief as they were. It's a nice scent." Castiel finished, looking as if he was definite in his thoughts. 

  Clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck, Dean decided to try and change the subject. 

  "Your soup is burning."

  Dean was amused when he was finally rewarded with a new expression from the man's face, mild as it was. Panic caused the man to barely widen his eyes, just the slightest bit more than usual as he turned around and lowered the flame on the gas stove to a simmer. As the man continued to fix his meal, Dean took a moment to take in his surroundings. When the alpha had led them into his home, they were a bit more preoccupied with Dean's state, and hence directly made their way upstairs to get Dean into the bathroom, and so the omega only managed to get a glimpse of the kitchen on his way. Now, he swallowed in the sights of the dark wooden floors and cupboards, neatly contrasted with the light collected granite counters and equally light stones accenting the wall. Modern kitchenware were neatly placed in between the counters, the stove straight ahead from Dean with the sink across from it on the island, beside the dishwasher the omega could guess, and behind him by the entryway the fridge with the pantry off to his left. From what he could see through the decorated glass door, the pantry had a set of steps leading downwards, and while he couldn't make out exactly how many steps, especially in the dark, Dean was a bit confused with how that would fit with the layout of this floor and the bottom floor. 

  He tried to adamantly ignore how standing in the kitchen with an alpha practically taking care of him was making his omega side finally preen at the attention, and even more firmly pushed down the feeling of wanting to curl up against the alpha's side as he cooked - most likely for the omega. 

  "Do you need any help?" He instead asked, and he could have breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the man nod his head.  

  "Could you set the table, please? Place mats are at the drawers by the sink and the plates and silverware are there." he cocked his head to their right, and Dean started to go and get the dishes from said spot. 

oOo

  Hearing the omega move behind him, Castiel couldn't help but continue to surreptitiously sniff at the air. When he said that Dean had smelled different, he had neglected to mention exactly how different. The man's scent was usually slightly dampened by the mating bite and the effects that had on his scent, as well as the fact that he almost always was covered in dust or other factors provided from the outside forces - probably caused by his stints as a hunter. Now that he was clean and was wearing some of Castiel's spare clothes - bought for him by his brothers that he never really wore but kept in his closet anyway -  he smelled not only more untainted by any dirt or pollution, but also... a lot like Castiel. Which, yes, the angel may have been a bit oblivious to social cues, but he had a feeling that wouldn't have sat well with the omega if he dared to say that aloud. 

  "Your brothers joining us?"

  Castiel was about to turn off the stove, but paused as he considered this. While Gabriel didn't mind eating - he did have a well known affinity towards sweets after all - the three angels never bothered to eat actual meals. Even the dishes they had were of the expensive kind because Balthazar had wanted them - silverware, Chinaware, extensively decorated glassware - and the only actual food they had, if it could even be considered that, were the wines deep within the pantry and the crazy amounts of cakes and candies. Castiel had had to use a bit of grace to procure the ingredients for which to make the soup currently in front of him right now. But then again, actual meals...

  "No." Castiel replied, finally turning off the stove. "They, uh, contacted me earlier. They said they would be eating out today - apparently Balthazar was craving French."

  He heard Dean chuckle as he turned to fetch a serving bowl. He'd have to fly to get the bread when Dean was in the dining room placing the dishes. Thankfully, he had the mind to obtain the chicken salad's ingredients first, and immediately finished preparing it, so Dean wouldn't be able to question when the alpha finished cooking the chicken. 

  "Figures. Guess it's just you and me then." While his tone was light, it was hard to miss the slight wariness that hinted the air. The alpha lifted his head from looking down at the soup he was doling out into the bowl to meet the omega's eyes.

  "I assure you, Dean, that you have no reason to worry. My brother's will be home soon enough, if you’re concerned about being in the presence of an admittedly, practically near stranger and alpha alone. They, at least, consider you their friend. Regardless, you are always safe here." Castiel asserted, hoping that the omega would understand at least by the tone of his voice that the alpha meant every word. 

  Slowly, Dean nodded, looking at the angel speculatively before he turned to go into the dining room, the plates and silverware in his hand. With a sigh, the alpha went into the pantry, purposefully leaving the door open before he flew off. His task would only take a few seconds, but just in case the hunter felt like he forgot something or the other and came right back into the kitchen, at least he wouldn't think Castiel had disappeared into - or appeared out of - thin air.

oOo

Sweet Stop - Chapter 9

 

  Dinner was not what Dean had been expecting.

  He thought that it would be filled with tense silence, the omega trying to hastily shovel down his food so he could make his exit all the more quicker. Probably through the front door.

  But instead, with Castiel being all perfectly cordial and politely making conversation, Dean found himself telling story after story about all his encounters with the alpha’s brothers - from his point of view, obviously, as Castiel had been mostly present for the interactions between Dean and Gabe, and the ones between the omega and Balthazar, he had heard from the beta himself. 

  And not only was the man a great listener, showing hints of amusement at the right moments, and almost rolling his eyes - and Dean was sure he had imagined it the first time that happened - at his brothers' behaviors, but he was also a damn great cook. While Dean never would have gotten soup for himself, and though he had only allowed a small portion of the salad on his plate to be polite, the moment the food touched his tongue, he was moaning in ecstasy, eagerly polishing off his first plate, and then - with Castiel's insistence, saving Dean from the embarrassment of having to ask, before he had even finished the plate actually - taking seconds, this time savoring each bite. 

  By the time they had both finished eating, Dean a considerably larger amount than Castiel, which was saying something because the omega had actually been holding back, not wanting to seem rude in front of his host, Dean was sitting as relaxedly as he could, the wounds on his back preventing him from being able to lean against the back of the chair as he wished he could. 

  "You should go back to bed. You could do with a bit more rest... do you need any more pain killers?" The alpha asked, getting up and starting to collect the plates. Immediately, the hunter shot up to his feet, wincing and regretting it too late. 

  "Nah, I'm good. Here, let me do the dishes." Holding a hand up to stop the alpha's protests, Dean gently tugged on the plates in the alpha's hands, the man reluctantly letting go. "Look. It's the least I could do, especially after everything you've done for me." Placing the plates neatly in his arms, he made his way to the kitchen, turning slightly when Castiel followed him to put the rest of the dishes into the sink as well. 

  "Be that as it may, I still don't feel comfortable with you doing any kind of strenuous work when your back is in the state it is."

  "Not handicapped here, man." Dean bit out, before taking a deep breath. Castiel didn't deserve his anger, especially when he was only looking out for him. And besides. He definitely wasn't going to make the same mistake he did with Gabe to Castiel now. "And this isn't strenuous," he carefully shrugged a shoulder, internally judging the level of pain the action caused him as well. "And besides. I could always pop another pain killer... right?" He glanced sideways at the alpha besides him, his hands slowing down in their movements of soaping up a plate, the alpha standing nearby - but not too close - with a towel ready in his hands. 

  "Of course... but I think a fair warning of drug abuse would be in order."

  Dean smirked, relief filling him at the man's words. 

  "Consider me warned." He handed the plate to Castiel to dry as he started on another plate. It was a while before he realized the man was quiet. Unusually quiet. 

  He raised an eyebrow at the man, this time rinsing the plate without pause. "You have something to say there?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably start considering chapter warnings for tw stuff, but as far as this one is concerned... er.. warnings for.. fluff?

  When Dean had asked if he had anything to say, Castiel froze. He desperately wanted to ask the man why he was overusing heat suppressants and birth control pills to the point of overdose, but technically, there was no way for the man to know that the omega was even taking them in the first place. So, while stumped, he knew that he was still going to get through this subject right now, somehow, when at least they were somewhat on the subject. 

  "Stay the night."

  Ok, maybe next time then. 

  Hands rubbing in circular motions instantly stilled, the omega's head snapping towards the alpha, and Castiel could have cringed at his bluntness. Perhaps he should request his brothers to help him be better acquainted with human's tendency to conceal what they were actually saying and say something else aloud.

  On second thought, maybe he should ask Dean instead. 

  "I apologize, I must have been far too forthright than I had intended to be. I thought you would feel better to just spend the night here, in case you need any medicine or anything." He fumbled to an awkward pause. "Unless, of course, you have somewhere else to be?" And oh, he sincerely hoped not. If this man was living with his mate, as was to be highly expected, than Castiel would prefer the omega to stay anywhere apart from the monster. Even if it meant that he would choose not to be here, as much as it greatly pained Castiel to even think that, but he would gladly accept if it meant Dean wasn’t in danger. 

  But then again, trying to look at it from the omega's point of view, who was looking like he was a bit too close to disagreeing for Castiel's comfort, the Seraph couldn't help but add in just one more remark, hoping it would be the right thing to say to convince the hunter. 

  "Please, you don't have to do anything in return, except to just... be safe. I'd feel much better knowing that you were out of harm for at least one night."

  "I, uh." Dean blinked, looking back at the dish he was scrubbing, deep in thought. After a moment, he looked back at Castiel, a small hopeful look blooming in his eyes. 

  "You wouldn't mind?"

  "No, of course not."

 

oOo

 

  After doing the dishes, Dean had retreated back to his room, a bottle of water and more painkillers in his hand. Castiel had to refrain from biting his tongue in order to avoid saying anything yet again about the drugs, despite being well aware that he probably was missing another chance to broach the subject with Dean. 

  A while after Dean had disappeared into the guest room, Gabriel and Balthazar finally appeared, a flutter of wings alerting their presence to Castiel. The alpha was sitting rigidly on the sofa in the living room, his mind in turmoil. 

  "What's the problem, brother?" Balthazar inquired. 

  Before Castiel could reply, Gabriel cut in. "Is Ji-Dean here?" 

  Castiel nodded. "Yes, he retired a while ago to bed upstairs."

  Balthazar raised his eyebrow. "Same room, I'm guessing?"

  "Yes?" Castiel couldn't see what that had to do with anything. 

  Gabriel nodded as well, clapping his hands before crashing down on the armchair besides Castiel. "Alright, go ahead. He won't hear us."

  "Are you sure the amount of grace you've-"

  "It's fine, Cassie." Gabriel rolled his eyes. "So, what's with the SOS?"

  "Yes, brother," Balthazar said, coming to sit on the couch on the other side of Castiel, leaving the alpha in between both his beta brothers. "What was with the urgent call for us?"

  Castiel let out a small sigh. 

  "I tried looking for Dean's mate."

  For a moment, the two betas were silent. And then Gabriel spoke. 

  "Dean's mate? Are you sure everything's all right up there, Cassie? You tried looking for - and what do you mean by tried?" Gabriel exclaimed. 

  Castiel shifted uneasily. "I mean I looked everywhere. But for some reason, I couldn't find the mate, not within the entirety of this state. I'd have looked farther, but I didn't want to push..." Gabriel nodded in agreement, but his brows were furrowed in thought. 

  "You couldn't find his mate? Could be they're warded-"

  "But then Cassie would have at least noticed that he's been banned from somewhere." Balthazar cut in. Castiel looked at them hopelessly. 

  "As much as I want to be more concerned about what Cassie here would do if you did find Dean-o's mate," Gabriel went on, looking pointedly at the alpha. "I think I'm equally concerned that you couldn't sense bupkis." He raised an eyebrow questioningly at Castiel, and the alpha nodded to show his confirmation. Gabriel sighed. 

  "You know, if they're not warded, and you can't sense them..."

  Balthazar spoke up, finishing what Gabriel was trying to hint at, saying the very words Castiel had dreaded to hear. 

  "There's a high probability that his mate isn't human."

  A thick, heavy, uncomfortable silence descended in the room upon the three angels as they tried to absorb this information. It suddenly struck Castiel that this wasn't as simple as he thought - as if it was simple enough to begin with. He, an angel, had scent bonded to not only a hunter, who as far as Gabriel knew was completely unaware of the angel's existence, along with the rest of the heavenly committee. And despite his vessel already having had a true mate - which all the more proved to show how completely insane their situation was - they had now come to the realization that Dean's mate, who was for reasons unknown abusing the omega without any resistance from the hunter, wasn't a human. 

  Which was, of course, when Gabriel chose the moment to crack a completely inappropriate joke. 

  "Well Cassie, looks like your mate is into some kinky stuff. Hope you can keep up." He winked. 

  Needless to say, Castiel was severely unamused, the gist of which his brother got when the alpha started growling. 

  "Woah,  _ woah _ there, boy!” The Archangel held up his hands in a placating gesture, which really, did nothing to appease the man. "Just trying to make light of the situation."

  "I appreciate your concern, Gabriel," Castiel said, his voice low as he tried hard to not actually growl the words out. "But I highly doubt that now is the time for such a joke. And your insinuations did nothing of the sort, much as you thought otherwise."

  The archangel gave Castiel a weird look. 

  "Right." 

 

oOo

 

  When Cas had suddenly sprung the request to stay for the night, Dean had immediately felt his guard rising. He had thought that the man who had invited him to his house to help treat Dean's wounds surely couldn't mean any harm, despite that he had always felt slightly wary of the alpha anyway. It was only during dinner that he felt like he could relax somewhat, and now any signs of leniency Dean had been allowing himself when in the presence of this man was immediately gone. Until Cas started to bluster and blunder his way onwards, trying to rectify his bluntness, and though he didn't feel as lax as before, which wasn't much in the first place, Dean still couldn't help but actually consider the request. He could either play it safe, and go back to the dingy motel room he had been staying in for the past two years - his rent somewhat eased due to Dean taking care of a supernatural problem haunting the motel - and back to the loneliness and despair the very room seemed to reel of, with its detaching furniture and decor, and the musty smell that never disappeared despite the amount of air fresheners Dean invested in... 

  Or he could stay for just the night in that extremely soft bed, with the warm, thick blanket to envelop him into a cocoon of a temporary, if false, sense of security, with the added advantage of medical service should Dean request it. 

  Not that he would.

  However, still, yeah. No question there about what he'd pick. 

  But there was no way it was gonna be for free. 

  As if sensing his thoughts, Cas suddenly spoke. 

  "Please, you don't have to do anything in return, except to just... be safe. I'd feel much better knowing that you were out of harm for at least one night."

  Which, okay, totally weird thing to say. But somehow, it must have also been the right thing, because the deal was sealed right then and there for the omega. 

  "I, uh." Dean blinked, absently looking to the serving bowl he still held in his hands. His fingers were starting to prune. Finally, he just gave in, though he couldn't help that last bout of hesitance as he looked back at man, hoping hard that this man was for real.

  "You wouldn't mind?"

  The alpha was quick to reply. "No, of course not."

  And so that was how he found himself back in a cozy bed for the third time in the past week. After the past few years of twisting and turning uneasily on a motel bed, this mattress felt like heaven to Dean’s muscles, especially his torn ones. He didn't think he needed the pain killers yet, but he popped them in anyway, swallowing it down with some water. He'd have much preferred beer, but the alpha had only served water even for dinner, and not only feeling a bit uncomfortable around this stranger, relatively, to ask for a beer, he was starting to doubt if Cas even drank. So he refrained himself from asking, and because of that, it looked like he'd just have to make do with the water for now. 

  With the pain killers starting to make its way into his system, he was out within moments of climbing into bed, though Dean doubted that whether or not the pills were in his system it would affect his drowsiness with how tired he just was. 

  But still, maybe it was the pills, maybe it wasn't, but for the first time in four years, despite his nightmares, when Dean woke the next morning, he was feeling fresh, active, and not one bit dragged down from the remnants of the previous night's dreams. 

  Not when the smell of breakfast was wafting through the door anyway. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 10

 

  This time, Castiel's brothers had joined the two for breakfast. The moment Dean had stepped foot into the dining room, still dressed in last night's sweatpants and hoodie, and saw Gabe - and yeah, it was official that Dean was gonna stick with Gabe rather than the full name -  whistling as he stirred something in a pot, Dean froze, wondering what he should do. And then to top it all off, Cas appeared practically out of nowhere, his lips ever so slightly turning up as his eyes roved over Dean's sleep ruffled appearance. 

  "Good morning, Dean."

  A little flustered at being caught sneaking - okay, maybe not sneaking, but it wasn't like he was trying to particularly draw attention to himself - down the stairs, Dean rubbed the back of his neck, instinctively straightening his spine in the presence of another person, and then immediately cringing at the pain. The action didn't go unnoticed by the alpha, and all traces of any smiles disappeared from his face, replaced with a slight frown. 

  "G'morning, Cas."

  At the sound of their voices, Gabe immediately turned, his eyes zooming onto the omega in the room across the hallway from the kitchen. Cas still didn't seem very happy, but after being interrupted by his brother, he lowered his head a bit, moving so that Gabe could have proper view of the omega. 

  "Dean-o! You're awake! Just in time for breakfast too - how do pancakes sound?"

  Dean paused, his mind too tired to do anything but reflect on the question itself. 

  "Sounds great." He answered truthfully, and with a large beaming grin along with a wink, Gabriel turned back around, continuing to whisk the batter in the bowl he held in the crook of one arm. 

  Feeling as if he had just been dismissed, Dean turned back to the alpha. "So. Breakfast?" He asked, trying to prod the man along and hopefully dissuade him from broaching the subject on Dean's pain levels, which it seemed likely that Cas would do. But not if Dean had anything to do about it. 

  "Yes, but I would prefer to check on your wounds first, to ensure they are healing properly. If you don't mind." Well. That didn't work. And as much as Cas was asking his permission and all… yeah, Dean still wasn’t shaking off the feeling that it would just be for the best to go along with the alpha. But the moment he started to get too handsy...

  Trying not to let his displeasure show, but knowing it was probably given away by his scent anyway, Dean gave a reluctant nod, letting Cas lead him back upstairs.  

  Once within the privacy of Dean's room, the omega turned away, stripping off his hoodie and lying facedown on the bed. Not once could he bring himself to meet the alpha's eyes as he let the other man scrutinize his back. Which was why he let out a surprised hiss when the feeling of Castiel's fingers suddenly touched his back lightly, but it was just as quickly withdrawn, the man letting out a low apology. Both men were silent as Castiel unwrapped the bandages. When it came to the final part where he had to pry away the bandage that had gotten stuck to the dried wounds, Dean braced himself by gripping the sheets beside his head tightly. An almost soothing hand rubbed Dean's bicep as Cas tried to pull it away with minimal pain. 

  "Your wounds are healing well enough, I suppose." He remarked after a moment's pause. "But it would do better if I were to apply some tonic one more time... would you mind?" Cas inquired, his voice soft. 

  Clenching his teeth, Dean lifted his head from the pillow enough to shake his head, and then abruptly stopped the small movement, letting his head fall back to the pillow before giving out a muffled  _ 'no' _ instead. 

  The weight on the bed lifted as Castiel stood up, disappearing briefly before he was back almost straightaway. Dean looked back at him, his eyebrows raised. The man had barely been gone seconds, so unless the first aid kit he was now holding was right outside the door - which Dean was pretty sure it wasn't because he didn't see anything on his way back in here - the man must have been a fast runner. Or something. 

  Cas set the first aid kit in the table, strangely reminiscent of the previous night to Dean. Opening it, he took out a tube, uncapping it as he sat back down besides Dean.  

  When his hands first touched Dean's back, the hunter tensed, his muscles tight as he braced for the contact and pain. But slowly, as the alpha worked the ointment over the muscles with firm fingers, cautiously staying away from the still slightly open wounds, Dean felt his muscles loosening against his will, his eyelids drooping as the stress was slowly pushed out of his body. Minutes passed as the man continued to studiously massaged Dean, hands pushing and kneading Dean’s back and submitting it to his hands. And when he finally pulled away, bringing Dean back slowly from the brink of sleep, the omega suddenly realized to his horror that he had been purring. 

  Clearing his throat, his face flaming, Dean abruptly pushed himself upright, the sudden motion pulling at his muscles yet again, ruining a small portion of Cas’s work as his muscles tightened. "I, uh..." Dean couldn't bring himself to meet the alpha's eyes as he quickly got up to pull his hoodie back on. But with an inhale, he could still smell the surprise coming from the alpha, undoubtedly caused by his purring, if not his rapid movement to exit the room. And before the alpha could process whatever he wanted to say, Dean was gone. 

  Going down the stairs, he could still feel the embarrassment tainting the air surrounding him. And really, how couldn't he have been flustered - the omega had been purring. Purring! Never, in Dean's life, could he remember purring. Except for when he had been a pup, and his mother was still alive...

  "Dean!" Gabe exclaimed, catching sight of the omega as he slowly came down the stairs. "Just in time. Breakfast is served." With a grand flourish of his hand, the beta waved towards the four plates neatly set at the dining table, two on each side, with a steaming pile of pancakes set on each one. In the center, a large plate held an even bigger stack of pancakes, and small bowls held an assortment of fruits, nuts, and even chocolate, a jug of syrup and a bottle of whipping cream were placed nearby. Dean's mouth watered at the sight, and his stomach chose just that moment to make itself heard right when the wonderful aroma of the food hit his nose. 

  "Damn." He finally stood at the bottom of the staircase. "That looks good." And he genuinely meant it. He cocked an eyebrow at Gabe when the man pulled out a chair, gesturing for the omega to sit, but he sat down anyway, letting the beta push in his chair as the man called out to his brothers. 

  "Balty!  _ Cassie _ !" Dean winced. Damn, if the man didn't have strong lungs, and right when he was standing just behind Dean too. " _ Breakfast! _ "

  With a smile at the omega and a wink, Gabe pulled out the chair opposite from Dean and sat down, enthusiastically digging into his pancakes. It was then that Dean looked down to take in the sight of his own. Four perfectly circular and fluffy looking pancakes sat in the middle of the plate, covered in maple syrup and whipping cream so perfectly set in the middle in a perfect twirl, with the syrup dripping down just right, as if taken from a picture from a recipe book. Dean picked up his knife and fork, slowly cutting into the pancakes, taking in the delicious sight of his knife sliding down the pancakes easily, and paused at the yellow, orange, and brown flecks in the pancakes. He raised an eyebrow at the beta across from him, who only looked back at him with twinkling eyes as Gabe chewed on his own mouthful of pancakes. With a sigh, Dean bit into the pancakes... and outright groaned at the onslaught of all the tastes erupting within his mouth, his eyelids fluttering closed. 

  "That," he said after a long pause of enjoying the bite. "Was awesome. Ora-" before he could list out the ingredients, Gabe shushed him. 

  "Wait! I want them to take a hint as well... and I know you'll get it right anyway, so give Cassie there a chance?" It was then that the omega noticed the alpha standing to the side, rooted in his spot a few steps away from the chair beside Dean. The omega flushed at the sight of the alpha, the memory of what happened between them a while ago popping up in his mind again... and then froze in horror as he wondered exactly how long the alpha had been standing there, and if he had heard the essentially pornographic sound Dean had let out when he tasted the pancakes. Not that he’d been making those sounds on purpose… but it wasn’t like Dean wasn’t aware of the effect he had on people at times, unwillingly or not.

  Balt unexpectedly appearing and seating himself beside Gabe seemed to shake Cas out of whatever reverie he was in, and he slowly came and sat besides Dean. At first, the omega couldn't bring himself to meet the alpha's eyes, but when he noticed Cas taking a bite of his pancakes out of the corner of his eyes, he gave up all pretenses of not looking and focused on him, waiting to see Cas’s reaction. And was rather shocked when Cas remained rather aloof even as he chewed, which totally befuddled the omega. How anyone could sit silently through Gabe’s cooking was beyond Dean's comprehension. As far as he knew, anyone with a working tongue who was honored with the beta's food would be likened to have been introduced to a new religion, that they completely approved off without a doubt in their mind or soul. And yet, Cas was just silently sitting there, chewing thoughtfully on his pancakes. 

  If Dean thought the man weird before, the idea was definitely underlined now. 

  "Oranges." Balthazar said smugly, and thankfully, he seemed a lot more invested in his pancakes. Though most of his glee seemed to be coming from the fact that he knew he had guessed one of the ingredients right. 

  But Gabe didn't budge, merely raising an unimpressed eyebrow at his brother. "That doesn't count. I know you heard Dean slipping up on that one. Give me the others." He said evenly. 

  Beside him, Cas finally swallowed. "It would have been hard not to guess the orange part, they do have a remarkable taste after all. There's also chocolate in this." He remarked, looking down at a bite of pancakes on his fork. Dean wondered why he felt like the alpha was avoiding his gaze... unless the man actually was. 

  Gabe nodded, this time looking a lot more pleased. "That's right! But there's one more thing..." He paused, waiting for one of his brother's to reveal the last ingredient, before finally, unable to take the silence, Dean spoke up, answering for them. 

  "Bananas. And an extra cup of sugar, honestly, but it tastes great." He raised his forkful of pancake at the beta in a gesture of cheers, letting a small smirk grace his lips as he ate the mouthful. Gabe couldn't have looked prouder at that moment. 

  "I've trained you guys so well." He pretended to wipe a tear away from his face.

  "Yes, to get fat, I believe." Balthazar muttered, and Dean chuckled. Unable to help himself, he turned slightly, and when he saw the sides of Cas's lips quirking up, for some odd reason his chest felt the slightest bit looser. 

 

oOo

 

  When the group had finished with breakfast, Dean had decided it was well past time for him to leave, and despite the brothers' assurance that it would be alright for him to stay, Dean shrugged them off with a smile and a ‘thanks’ anyway. That didn't stop Gabe from essentially repeating Cas's words from a few days ago, letting Dean know that he was always welcome at their place. 

  When Dean finally made his way to the elevator that would guide him to his exit from the building, the omega found Cas following behind him quietly. While they waited for the elevator doors to open, Cas turned to Dean, holding out a medicinal tube. The hunter recognized it as the one that the alpha used on his back that morning, and he took it with a questioning look at the other man. 

  "You'll be needing it more than any of us right now, so go ahead and take it. But... I would not at all be adverse if you wanted to return, in case you needed assistance." Cas said evenly, and Dean felt his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. Despite the alpha being relatively calm, Dean wasn't too sure on how he felt about that offer. Especially after feeling like he had already outstayed his welcome. Plus the way Cas had been acting, barely looking at Dean all through breakfast, hadn’t really been encouraging, but then again, he was offering even though he didn’t have to...

  "Thanks, but uh, I think I should be fine." He smiled thinly at the man, but Cas didn't return it. He just continued staring at Dean, and damn him, because it was really starting to get seriously unnerving. Where was that elevator? It honestly wasn't like this building could have been that crowded. 

  "If you insist." The man said after a moment, still not letting his gaze stray, and unable to take it any longer, Dean cleared his throat uncomfortably. 

  "Uh, Cas, buddy? You're staring."

  The alpha blinked, his head ever so slightly leaning back, and Dean was for sure thankful at the distance, even the slightest, that movement gave them. "I apologize. I hadn't realized that causes you discomfort."

  Now it was Dean's turn to stare. "Buddy, I highly doubt I'd be the only one." He stated, before he could think his words through. 

  Cas narrowed his eyes and - fuck, no - tilted his head to the side. 

  "Beg your pardon?"

  Thankfully,  _ thankfully _ , and Dean would have happily sang praises to the high heavens then, the elevator dinged as its door's opened. 

  "Nevermind.” Dean said quickly. “I'll see you later?" He asked, stepping into the mechanical contraption. The alpha looked strangely pleased as he nodded, and Dean felt himself nodding along, though he couldn’t have said why. 

  "Right, bye then. And again, thanks Cas."

  The elevator doors closed. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 11 

 

  This time, Dean was far more adamant in staying away from Cas. Nothing good could come from his relying too heavily on anyone, nothing. And if he did, the hunter knew that that would only lead to his legs being kicked out from under him, and if he fell again, this time Dean didn't know how he would get up. 

  So it was with that in mind that he left for a hunt all the way in Chicago, leaving as soon as he was well recovered from the hangovers caused by the drinking bouts in celebration of the Independence Day parties at the bar. And damn, did Anne know how to host her parties. He knew that if Alastair called him now, he was as good as dead meat, but thankfully, he didn't call, and Dean let himself completely focus on his hunt. 

  It was a werewolf that had been terrorizing the neighborhood, an easy milk run for Dean, and while part of him was thankful that it didn't take too long, a bigger part of him wished for more freedom, to roam around the country for much longer and not have to be rooted down in Kansas, where his torturer resided... and someone else who seemed intent on creeping into Dean's mind constantly. 

  With a groan, Dean slammed his head against the wheel, letting his head stay there before looking back up at the traffic light in front of him. After almost a week of avoiding Kansas, Dean had had to force himself back there without risking delaying any further, but despite the distance, he still found himself unable to stop thinking of Cas. As if that wasn't enough, Dean had dumped the tube of medicine the alpha handed him right at the top inside his duffle. So every time he had to take out or put back in clothes or weaponry - which was several times a day total - his gaze kept falling on the tube. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't get rid of it, but it wasn't like he could use it either. He may have been moving well enough to run after a werewolf and exchange some fists, kicks, and shoves before finishing it with a stab to the heart with a silver knife, but performing some gymnastics and trying to reach the wounds on his back was another matter. 

  But coming back to Kansas now, and staring at the traffic light glowing a steady red in front of him, Dean suddenly felt far too burdened by his thoughts. Looks like he could definitely do with a drink then. 

 

oOo

 

**_Topeka, Kansas_ **

**_Mid July, 2009_ **

 

  "Hello, Anne Marie." He greeted the blonde with an easy, flirtatious grin. The fellow omega rolled her eyes, but she was visibly amused with Dean's appearance. "Adam not in today?"

  "No, he took a day off. Something about a family emergency or something." Despite her casual words, the hunter knew that the bartender was concerned about her co-employee's disappearance. Not that he blamed her, Adam barely got in trouble. For a guy brought up by a single mother, he was doing quite great actually, going to college and getting good grades and all that jazz, while tending at the local bar to help with personal fundings. Dean vaguely wondered what was up with the beta, and hoped nothing was wrong with the guy's mom.

  "But anyway, what'll it be for you today, Jimmy?" Any traces of worry was gone, replaced with a seductive smile as she leaned towards the omega. 

  "Whiskey." He couldn't stop the brief glance downwards, but then looked back up. As much as he enjoyed his times with Anne... for some reason he just wasn't feeling up to it today. 

  And it had nothing to do with the fact that her hair was too light, her scent all wrong, blocked as it was by suppressants to avoid facing any problems what with her workplace. 

  "Coming up." She must have smelled his reluctance, because she pulled back with a soft smile, not looking put out by the rejection at all. She was quick to get him his order - the evening crowd hadn't started to come in just yet, and the omega took advantage of that by coming out from behind the bar to slide into a barstool beside Dean. Anne pressed against his side comfortingly, nothing sexy about the gesture, and the hunter allowed himself to lean into the woman's touch, taking a deep breath of the soapy scent of her suppressants as he downed his whisky in one go. 

  From beside him, Anne raised her eyebrows. 

  "Rough day?" She inquired.

  He hummed, setting down his glass gently on the counter top. "Rough week." He corrected.

  From his peripherals, he saw her wince, and she reached out a hand to rub his arm. 

  "If you need to talk, I'm always here." She said, like she always did. 

  And like he always did, he gave a grateful smile as he nodded, though he didn't meet her eyes. 

  And like he always did, he didn't take her up on her offer. 

  They sat together in silence, letting the time go by, before Dean felt himself growing restless. 

  "Can I get another?" He lifted his empty glass, and with one last squeeze of his arm, Anne got up, sliding back to stand behind the bar as the doors opened, letting the firsts of the evening crowd in. 

 

oOo

 

  Alastair didn't call for the next three nights. 

  And in those three nights, Dean refused to think of Cas. He resolutely pushed all thoughts of the alpha to the back of his head, staying at the bar during the nights, hustling pool until Anne had to close up the bar. He spent the nights at her place, but for reasons more than one he couldn't bring himself to spend it in her bed specifically. Or to bring himself back to his own, not very comfortable bed waiting for him in his motel room on the other nights, sneaking in past midnight and out before dawn, barely getting any proper sleep to bother staying any longer. Adam had thankfully returned, explaining that his mother unfortunately got too close to a blade in the kitchen, and apart from giving mother and son a damn near heart attack, along with a hefty hospital bill, they were relatively fine. During the day, he spent his time researching for any hunts much closer to Kansas this time, camping out in either his car or Charlie's computer lab for a change. The redheaded omega never seemed to mind, not trying to peek at his screen or overall bother him except to eagerly fill him in on her latest LARP'ing expeditions - which he wasn't sure he still thoroughly understood, not unless he actually went with her to one, which yeah, not happening any time soon - or to mischievously show off her hacking skills. Even more thankfully, she didn't question Dean when he had asked her to teach him some of her said skills. 

  It was where Dean was right now, fruitlessly looking for a case, when he couldn't help but give in to the nagging thought in his head. He'd always tried to stay away, and physically he knew no matter what he always would, but surely just looking online wouldn't hurt?

  Except it did hurt. Seeing images, reading the articles, it was proof as to how far things had come... and just thinking about it hurt Dean too much, that he hastily closed the window, staring blankly at the desktop screen for a moment before he realized his eyes were watering. Wiping them away angrily, he got up and exited the lab, barely remembering to nod at Charlie as he left. The omega looked at him with worry in her eyes even as she waved with a bright smile on her face back at him, but it hardly registered in Dean’s mind as he left the lab. 

  At first, he had been planning to go to the bar, but not really paying attention to where his feet were taking him caused the omega to blink in surprise when the familiar bell tinkled above his head as he opened the door. He inhaled sharply, but entered anyway, letting the aroma of freshly baked pastries hit his senses better. 

  Gabe wasn't behind the counter, but seeing the door leading to the back open, he figured the beta was in the kitchen. Sure enough, he could hear the beta call out anyway, most likely alerted to his entrance by the bell. 

  "Be there in a minute!"

  Not bothering to respond, he turned first to look at the drawings, narrowly avoiding bumping into a kid who was running to most likely his parents, visibly seated at a table outside. He knew, and couldn't lie to himself that he did it because he knew that Cas was sitting there, to his right all the way at a corner in the back, like he always did. But he couldn't bring himself to look just yet. So he turned to the drawings instead, genuinely interested to see that there were new ones, and trying to take them in, but continuously getting distracted anyway, eyes mostly unseeing as they passed over paper over paper depicting cakes and fruits and even animals drawn in crayon. Finally, he slowly let himself turn to the display case, still not looking at the alpha but he was now visible from the corner of his eyes. It was easier to focus on the various pies displayed though, and right as he was deciding if he wanted to order the blueberry or the watermelon pie, he heard a voice speak up from right behind him. 

  "You should get the watermelon one. Gabriel finally figured out how to get the texture right, and I dare say it has turned out well." Dean almost jumped, would have, had the alpha's scent not alerted his identity to Dean first. As it was, it still surprised the hunter when he realized how easily Cas snuck up behind him - and was standing a bit too close. 

  Clearing his throat uncomfortably, painfully reminded of the last time he had been with the alpha and had to remind the guy on social etiquette, Dean still had to force himself not to lean back into the alpha's chest, or even turn around. He didn't think he would be able to stand face to face with anyone that close, and to a man he was attrac- Nope, not going there. 

  "Uh, Cas," he licked his lips, his voice suddenly hoarse. "Personal space, man." 

  There was a pause, and then he was painfully aware of the moment when Cas took a step backwards. 

  "My apologies." 

  Dean absently waved a hand, as if to brush off the incident, though he was still inwardly trying to ensure his scent was under control. 

  "So, watermelon?" This time, Cas came to stand beside him instead, a good enough distance between them. Dean didn't know why that disturbed him as much as it did in that moment. 

  Cas smiled. "It actually tastes like watermelon, and not like the fake candy flavored kind. Like Gabriel kept insisting on making it."

  Dean scrunched up his eyes. "I'm guessing it didn't taste that good if it didn't make it to the final board?" 

  Cas tilted his head. "It wasn't that. I just found the taste... displeasing."

  That was actually surprising. Because whether or not Castiel meant to, the man just revealed that his brother actually changed the taste of one of his menu items just for his brother. 

  That thought made his heart twang, and clenching his jaws, Dean looked away. 

  "How can I help you?" Dean raised his head, meeting the gaze of a person that was very decidedly not Cas's brother.

  "A slice of the watermelon pie, and a cup of black coffee, if you don't mind-" he looked down at the nameplate on the dark haired girl's chest, an easy smile on his face to cover up how taken aback he was with... well the entire situation really. "Mandy."

  "One black coffee, and a slice of watermelon pie." She listed out as she punched the numbers into the machine, not giving Dean any more attention except for a responding, completely professional smile. As Dean handed the money over, he noticed that the waitress was too busy looking to the alpha besides him instead. "Anything for you, Castiel?" She smiled suggestively at the alpha. 

  Dean’s stomach turned unpleasantly. He must have been hungrier than he thought. 

  "I'm quite fine, thank you."

  She didn't look too bummed by his refusal, and barely glanced at Dean when she told him she'll be with his order soon. She flashed a winning smile that was directed more towards Cas than Dean, before disappearing behind the machinery. Dean smiled back belatedly, though it was rather forced. 

  "Great." Turning to Cas, he took a deep breath, suddenly very much aware of the man in front of him, and every one of their encounters so far flashed briefly in his mind. "Mind if I join you?"

  Cas, who had been silently watching the interaction between Dean and Mandy so far with an expressionless face, smiled now. "No." He responded simply, before leading Dean to his table. 

  They sat across from each other, practically the same way as they had done the last time Dean was here, with Dean facing the entrance and Cas the wall. For a moment, Dean wasn't sure what to say, but he didn't have to bother, because Cas spoke up first. 

  "How's your back?" He asked, his voice quiet. Trying to quell down his frustration, Dean casually shrugged a shoulder. It wasn't like it had completely healed, but he was used to being in some sort of constant pain. 

  Dean looked down at the table, and immediately grinned, feeling the muscles protest at how very faked the action was. 

  "Game of Thrones, huh?" He said, gesturing to the book. Cas frowned at the abrupt subject change, but looked down at the book anyway. 

  "Yes... Gabriel had insisted on me reading something different for a change." 

  "You read books often, don't you?" Dean observed. "I mean, half the time I see you, you're carrying one book or another." He recalled. 

  Cas fixed his intense glare on Dean again. "I find reading calming. But this book has been... a bit stress inducing, with the amount of deaths I've so far come across."

  Dean let out a chuckle, unable to help himself. "Oh, it only gets worse, believe me." His laughter died down, but he still couldn't bring himself to completely wipe off the now more genuine grin from his face. That quickly changed, however, when the waitress - Mandy - returned with his pie and coffee. Dean's nostrils were suddenly assaulted with the smell of flowers and sunshine - as well as that could translate to a smell anyway - when she bent down between them, and he fought to avoid cringing at the overall sweetness of it. Maybe he would have found it appealing, but frankly it was a bit too... overwhelming. And it wasn't because he'd rather smell the wafts of rainfall coming from across him, but more that generally other scents were usually repulsive - except for Cas apparently - to people already mated. And that thought soured his mood immediately. 

  It must have carried out into his scent, because Mandy shot him a weird look, for the first time acknowledging him without absolutely having to, before looking back at Cas. "Anything else I could help you with?" She asked, a sickly sweet smile on her face, but Cas shook his head. Dean was already shoveling a piece of the pie in his mouth, even as he kept his eyes trained on the alpha as he waited for the man's response. Vaguely, he noted that the alpha was right. The pie tasted of fresh fruit, but unlike the actual fruit in question, instead of melting in his mouth in a puddle of mostly water, it melted into a delicious paste of fruit, crust, and whipped cream, each taste brilliantly mixed and perfectly balanced with each other.

  "That would be all for now, Mandy." He thanked her again absently. The man seemed completely oblivious to the female omega’s advances, which, now that Dean was able to take in, he found the entire interaction just the slightest bit amusing. Slightest. 

  Mandy still didn't seem too disheartened, as she shot him a wink - right as Cas turned to look back at Dean, so the hunter nodded with glee that the alpha missed it anyway - before walking away. 

  "Dude, she totally has the hots for you." Dean blurted, not able to himself back. He immediately felt flustered when he could hear the slight bitterness in his own voice, trying to cover it up by shoveling another piece of pie in his mouth. And damn, if it at least wasn't good though. But Cas didn't seem to notice anything amiss, his head tilting to the side as his face took on a look of confusion. 

  "I don't understand." He stated frankly. Dean sighed, shaking his head a bit, but he was definitely looking fondly at the alpha. 

  Not that that meant anything. 

  "That chick there digs you, and quite possibly wants to get into your pants." Dean said slowly, purposefully enunciating each word.

  The alpha's face started to clear, and he now looked horrified, much to Dean's ever growing amusement. 

  "She wishes to have sexual intercourse with me." He clarified. Dean started to choke on his pie, trying to avoid spitting it out but also to make it stop going down the wrong pipe. In the end, he collapsed into a coughing fit, a solid minute passing before he managed to finally get himself under control. 

  "Yeah," he said faintly. "Otherwise known as 'wanting to get into your pants.’" Dean repeated. The look of horror was now replaced with a dry glare at the hunter's direction. 

  "Yes, I understood that. Thanks to Gabriel. But believe me, I won't be letting her 'into my pants anytime soon." He even raised his hands to emphasize his point with air quotations, and Dean didn't even fight the grin on his face at that.

  "And besides. She just joined Gabriel's employment a few days ago. Should I take anyone to bed, I would rather it not be anyone newly employed by my brother, or rather under the employment of any one of my brothers at all." He looked intently at Dean, but the omega was suddenly having a very hard time trying to pull his mind away from the images prompted to his mind at the words of Castiel and his bed. 

  "Uh huh."

  Dean looked back down, avoiding Castiel's stare. He could have told him off again, but he didn't think he would be able to open his mouth without saying something he didn't want to right now. He needed to change the subject again. 

  "So. Gabe talked you into this book?" 

  Dean looked pointedly at the book under the alpha's hands. 

  "Yes. He said it would be a nice change, but frankly I am unable to see the appeal. I much prefer to read about something far more useful, such as the books that help me tend to my garden or beehives."

  Dean felt his eyebrows shoot up. 

  "Okay, first off, 'not able to see the appeal'? Are you crazy? This book is like, all the rave or whatever the kids say these days - they even have a show on it and everything - though I haven't really seen it. And second, you have a garden and... beehives?" He asked bewilderedly. 

  Cas smiled, his whole demeanor coming off as very obviously fond. "Yes. I grew everything myself. It's quite calming, actually."

  "Even tending to the bees?"

  "Especially working with the bees. I find it very fruitful when I am able to obtain fresh honey, and I find that nothing beats the taste of fresh produce, in all honesty. You should try it sometime." 

  Taken aback, Dean stammered. "Uh, yeah, sure. So... where do you even have this garden set up?" He asked, licking off the last vestiges of his pie before starting on his coffee.

  Was it just his imagination or... did Cas's eyes linger on his tongue?

  "There is a terrace leading from my bedroom. Gabriel was quite courteous in letting me use up the space as I did."

  "Must be really spacious." And wow, yeah, the building must have been a lot bigger than what he had already seen, if the guy kept frigging beehives in his terrace. Dean wasn't too sure on how the whole thing worked, or how much space it actually took, but that, paired with a garden must have required quite the expanse of area. 

  "Oh yes." Now Cas looked down, toying with the corner of his book. "As I've mentioned before, Balthazar has a preference for ostentatious items. Including his housing."

  "I get the feeling you're more of the simple, down-to-earth and attuned-to-nature kinda guy then?" Dean joked, trying and hoping to lighten the situation. It worked, seeing as Cas lifted his head and shot him a smile. 

  "You would be correct."

  Pleased, Dean took another sip, setting down his cup before shaking his head. 

  "But seriously though. Bees?"

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 12

 

  As Dean made his way across the motel parking lot, he vaguely wondered how long it had been since he last came here - during the day, that was. The past week he'd been on the hunt, and then with Annie... and before that he stayed at Cas's, because the previous few night before was at Alastair's, and he barely had the energy to make it to his car afterwards. So all in all, it must have been a good two weeks. Huh. 

  Just as he was unlocking his door, the hunter heard someone call out to him. He looked to his side to find the motel owner eagerly running forward to him, his long hair bouncing with his steps. 

  "Hey Ronald." He greeted absently. The omega was usually a bundle of energy, not that Dean didn't mind. No, he actually found it entertaining, though he probably wouldn't admit that to the other omega's face. 

  "Jimmy! How've you been? You've been away for so long - good hunt?" The man asked enthusiastically, his face red from the small run. Dean didn't even give a second thought to wanting to face palm himself. He was used to the man consistently close to outing the hunter's occupation by now. No matter how many times he's warned the guy, Dean learned it was easier to just go along with it and hopefully end the conversation quickly. Like right now, though he wondered if Ronald seriously didn’t know that he’d been back for a while now, and just not around the premises when a normal person would be awake. Then again, that thought was highly unlikely, what with the immense amount of security cameras around the property, as much as Ronald could get away with without invading any of his customer’s privacy. 

  Looking at it that way, there definitely wasn’t anyway Ronald didn’t know that he was back, but was probably just seriously curious about the hunt. Too curious for his own good, as Dean often found himself thinking about the dude.

  "You could say something like that. Werewolf didn't wanna come out, and once it did, didn't wanna stay down." It wasn’t necessarily a lie, but it wasn’t the complete truth either, but Dean honestly didn't have a better way to explain his disappearance to the motel owner. 

  "Oh yeah, I getcha. They're really resilient, aren't they?" He grinned. "Silver bullet to the heart, right?"

  "Yeah. Or knife, anything silver, really." Dean gave Ronald a warning glance. "But don't you go hunting anything now, Ronald. Can't have you getting hurt," he tried for a smile, hoping to lighten the situation. "Or else I'd need to find a new motel, and god knows what I'd encounter there."

  Ronald chuckled, though uneasily, as if he was actually considering Dean leaving his motel for another, and didn’t like the thought much. "No, I won't go anywhere. I need to make sure I don't let anything else in my motel." 

  This time Dean chuckled, though a bit wearily. He unlocked his door, though he didn't open it. "So it was nice talking to ya, but I feel all dusty and grimy and could do with a shower..." This time he outright lied, admittedly feeling a little bad about it. But it did the job, as Ronald started exuberantly nodding his head, a look of understanding in his face. 

  "Oh yeah, of course! You go take a nice hot shower, I just turned on the heater so you should be fine!" He grinned, which Dean returned with a weaker version of his own, waiting for the man to go. But he didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon, so with an awkward clearing of his throat, Dean cracked open the door. 

  "Right. I'll just," he gestured to the door with his head, before quickly making his way in, barely letting the door open any further than to allow his own form inside. 

  Checking the locks, he carefully stepped over the salt line surrounding the demon's trap at the doorway. Removing his jacket with careful movements, he took out a few papers from its pockets before tossing the jacket over the back of the chair at the small table. His feet took him automatically to the board at the back of the room, on the wall of which on the other side the bathroom resided. 

  As usual, his eyes were drawn immediately to the top right corner of the board, not even paying attention to the rest of the board on various cases he’d gone over the years and hadn’t removed all the papers from yet. A small section had been dedicated to it's own subject at the corner Dean was looking at right now. He put the paper in his hands against the board, spearing it with a spare thumbtack before stepping back and taking it all in again. Each and every time his eyes roved over the picture, his heart gave a painful pang. Maybe it was enough, maybe he should just buck up and go himself. But even as the thought passed through his mind, he could hear the words resounding his head, as fresh as if he had just heard them yesterday. 

 

_ "He's an omega. And he was in heat. And he was sucking the first man he saw. And that's all it comes down to. At that moment, if that's all that's going through his head, and that's the only thing he's gonna want, how can he be trustworthy? When nothing else but sex is what he's gonna want the moment he goes into heat? You think I can be with a guy like that?" _

_ "You know, I bet you'd be a good soldier, wouldn't you? But you can't. You're in heat, boy, and how're you gonna kill the one person here who's gonna help you?" _

_ His eyes were dark as he pulled the trigger. Betrayed eyes looked at him blankly, already starting to cloud over.  _

 

  More and more memories ran through Dean’s head like a toddler throwing a tantrum and stomping around. But the moment it all came to a stop, the whole thing would play again in his head as if on repeat. 

  Rubbing his aching chest, his ears hurting as if the words were landing anew on them, he took a step back. They were right, this is all he deserved. Dean took a few more steps back, his breathing heavy, and when the back of his knees hit the chair, he let himself fall on it, his head collapsing between his knees as he struggled to take deep breaths. He deserved this panic attack, he deserved solidarity, and he deserved this damn deal, weak, pathetic thing he was. 

  It was all he was good for. 

 

oOo 

 

  "You look terrible." Anne stated frankly, the moment her eyes landed on Dean. 

  "Thanks." Dean grunted back. She was probably right anyway. After his panic attack at the motel room, which left him shaking on the motel room floor until he lost consciousness, he only woke by nightfall. And soon afterwards made his way to the bar, ‘cause he could do with a damn drink, screw it. 

  One of the many reasons to add on to the seemingly ever growing list as to why he didn't spend much time at his motel room. 

  But he did manage to recheck for any demon activities. Once reassured that no, his past wasn't gonna make his future any worse than it already was, that's when Dean had finally left. 

  "Whiskey?" Anne asked, brandishing his usual bottle in front of him. 

  "Yes, please." He gratefully slid his empty glass forwards on the table, and she gracefully caught it before it could fall over on her side. 

  "Adam in?" He asked, taking back his drink and swallowing a hearty amount. 

  He ignored her concerned frown. "Yeah, out back. He'll be in once he's done taking out the trash." Dean nodded. His jaw automatically clenched when it looked like Anne was about to say something, but when another customer at the end of the bar called for her over the crowd, she cast him one last worried look before leaving. He let out a grateful sigh. And then eyed the bottle that Anne left behind. 

  A few minutes passed, leaving Dean cradling his empty glass for the fourth time that night. He should have been well on his way to being drunk, but for some reason, he didn't seem to just be feeling it that night. Instead of losing his sense of clarity to a haze of fog and rendering him in a dazed state free of emotion, he was left feeling more and more morose, and even more grounded to his current state of life right now if possible. His mind kept roaming, from Alastair, to Cas, to alpha eyes filled with betrayal, to another alpha’s voice filled with hurt, and back and back again. The bottle in front of him suddenly being moved of seemingly its own volition caught Dean's attention, and his eyes went up to find that Adam was holding said bottle in his hands now, looking at it's near empty state almost impressively.

  "How your liver hasn't given up on us yet is worth writing a thesis paper for a PhD on." Adam said. Dean merely grunted. Wasn't like he didn't want to try, but again. That was on the list of 'not worth it', and besides. He still wasn't convinced enough to take the coward's way out. Though day by day it seemed more and more close to the point where he'd break and just give up. 

  But Dean wasn't there yet. 

  "How's your mom?" Dean asked, pointedly looking at the bottle. With a pointed look in return, Adam put away the bottle. 

  "She's fine. For the most part." Adam glanced around, and seeing that Anne was taking care of the crowd for now, he settled himself in front of Dean, crossing his arms on the table. "Her wrist is healing well, but it's gonna leave a nasty scar. She's mostly feeling pretty traumatized - and sheepish - about the whole thing. Doesn't wanna go near any knives, but," Adam shrugged, and despite his casual demeanor, Dean could easily spot the tiredness in the man's gaunt cheeks, and his eyes, highlighted with the deep bags. But then again, those had been there ever since the man had to start juggling a part time job along with college. "There's only so long we can live on takeout. I'm actually tryna help her avoid it, which probably isn't a good thing, letting her face her fears and all that. But yeah, just going around and cutting up stuff that needs cutting and she still does most of the cooking. But the doc's told her to keep off strenuous work to avoid tearing the stitches so yeah, it's a bit of a confusing hassle back home." Adam shrugged again, letting his eyes roam over the crowd. The entire time, Dean kept his eyes fixed on the beta, easily picking up the signs of how hard the situation must have hit Adam as well. Being suddenly called home from class to find his mom near unconsciousness with a slit wrist, the poor man went almost crazy thinking his mom tried to commit suicide. Until his mom was awake and lucid, he had to spend agonizing moments at the hospital, not knowing that it was just a slip of her hand that had Mrs. Milligan accidentally losing grip on a falling knife - which caught her wrist on the way down. 

  "Look at you," Dean exclaimed, trying to make light of the situation, but failing to hit the mark on sounding jovial with how drunk and out of it he was. "Being all mommy's boy and helping her around the kitchen. Why Adam, you sure you haven't presented as an omega yet?" He teased, though he was still having trouble making his lips cooperate with him to form a proper smile. 

  "Ha ha, very funny." Adam intoned, rolling his eyes as he straightened. "Do you need Anne to take you home?" He asked. Dean scoffed, though not unkindly. 

  "She's probably had enough of our depressing mugs for a while." And it could have been true, what with the blonde being the one to sit with Adam during her free time - which was how Dean found out the details on Adam's mom - and always worrying after the two in general. Except the girl had just too much of a pure heart, and would never admit to being tired of the two men. 

  "Guess it's up to me then." Adam said, and before Dean could retort, the beta was staring down at him firmly. "Stay here. And no more drinks. I'll take you to your room when I'm done here. And no. You're not driving." He left to help Anne deal with the slowly roughening crowd, and Dean was left to helplessly slump against his arms resting on the table. The beta didn't even leave the bottle out. A vibrating sensation in his pocket had him stiffening, and he slowly straightened as he fished out his pocket. 

  A minute later, the bar's front doors were slamming closed, some crumpled up bills on the bar a few inches away from Dean's empty and abandoned glass.  

 

oOo


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings contain trigger warnings!! Careful with this chapter, if you want you can skip through the italicized stuff near the end - the first part is okay

 It was past midnight. Like, seriously past midnight. More like, close to dawn. Still, Dean couldn't help but hope that Cas would be home, though where else the alpha would go... he didn't know. He just hoped he'd be home. 

  He pressed the buzzer, incessantly ignoring the man behind the front desk's stare burning holes in his back. 

  " _ Yes _ ?" A familiar French accent came through the speakers, and Dean relaxed, but only minutely. 

  "Uh, hey Balt." He spoke into the microphone, leaning forward slightly, but stopping when his back twinged in pain. 

  There was a pause. " _ Dean? _ "

  "Yeah." He let his finger fall free from the mic's button, trying to figure out what to say next when the elevator dinged. 

  "Okay, then." He muttered to himself, waiting for the elevator doors to open completely before walking in. Turning around, he wished he had the energy to conjure a satisfied and smug grin to flash at the beta behind the desk, but could only settle for hoping it oozed from his posture anyway. The elevator doors closed before he could see the man's responding expression. 

  While the elevator climbed up at a excruciatingly crawl-like pace, Dean tried to avoid his thoughts from running free. But he still couldn't help the worry nonetheless clawing at his stomach. 

  What if Cas wasn't home? Or if he was still asleep... he didn't want to wake the alpha, but did the hospitality that the alpha offered extend to come from the beta as well? Even Gabe would be alright, but what if they were annoyed that he took advantage of their invitation by showing up without prior notice at fuck knows what time in the morning. Or worse, what if the alpha was awake... and turned Dean away himself?

  Working himself up to a frenzy, that did nothing to settle his already frayed nerves, he was just about ready to force the elevator's doors open and climb his way back down, when they opened anyway... to reveal Cas standing right outside. 

  "Dean." His voice came out in a rush of breath, looking simultaneously relieved and anxious. The omega, for his part, was still as tense as a coiled up spring, and was ready to punch the button to lead him back to the ground floor of the building. 

  "Uh, hey, Cas." He rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, his movements stiff and muscles protesting at the action. "I..." he hesitated. Yeah, maybe he should just leave.

  "Come in." Cas cut in, and he extended an arm, as if to physically bring in the omega. Unable to help himself, he flinched. Cas swallowed, looking pained as he immediately lowered his arm, but he still was waiting, so Dean reluctantly stepped out of the elevator and entered the suite. A quick glance revealed both the alpha's beta brothers' lack of presence. 

  "I don't really know what I'm doing here." Dean admitted, not meeting the alpha's eyes. 

  "Have you slept?" Cas offered softly. With a scoff, Dean shook his head. 

  "No."

  "Are you... injured?"

  "No," He pursed his lips. Miracle of miracles, he truly wasn't. "Just sore."

  Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Cas nod. "Would you like to go to bed?"

  Dean cast a glance outside, letting his body finally relax. Cas wasn't kicking him out. Cas was standing in front of him, asking after him. Cas was actually inviting him in, and offering his spare room again himself. 

  "Yeah. Please."

  He still didn't look at the alpha, but just standing beside the calm man helped soothe some of his own nerves as they made their way upstairs together, with Cas in front taking the lead.

  "Where's Balt?" Dean asked as they reached the top of the landing. "And Gabe?"

  "They're in their rooms." Cas replied smoothly. They came to a stop in front of Dean's room. The guest room, Dean mentally corrected himself. 

  "Right."

  "Good night, Dean." Cas said warmly. "And again, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call." With a small smile, he turned and walked to his room, a few doors down the same hallway. It was after the alpha disappeared into his room did the omega walk into the room allotted to him - for now. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 13

 

_ "You failed us." Dark brown eyes stared with pain. "You killed him. You couldn't keep it in your pants then, and you got him killed." The voice was soft, filled with betrayal. But then he hissed the next words with malice. "And now you don't wanna be the needy omega slut you are and were behaving like all this time, and so see what happened to me!" Lightning and thunder erupted as the man threw out his arms, his voice ending in a yell as eyes were completely overtaken into a pool of blackness. "Is this what you wanted Dean? Is this what I deserve? Did you really think you were ever worth more?" _

 

  Dean woke with a start, sweat streaming down his face as he gasped. Taking in deep breaths, he tried to calm his heart rate, his eyes rapidly taking in his surroundings so as to ground himself. His hand flew up to his collarbone, digging into the fresh mark there. He pressed at it harder with his nails, not even wincing as his eyes started to water. 

  Fresh mark. Sore muscles. The deal was still intact. 

  The clock on the adjacent wall ticked on, marking the seconds passing as Dean finally got his breathing under control. He wiped away the sweat from his face, then wiped off his damp hand on his T-shirt. He briefly debated on trying to go back to sleep, but decided against it. He highly doubted sleep would come to him anyway, much less than a dreamless one even more so. 

  Getting out of bed, he started to reach for his flannel that he ditched along with his jacket on the chair, before pausing. The same hoodie he had worn the last time was freshly folded and placed on top of the table. Looking at it reminded him suddenly that he was also wearing the same white tee that he had stolen from his first time here, and had escaped with. After a brief moment of deliberation, Dean reached for the hoodie instead, sighing at the softness as he pulled it on. His flannel may have been comfortable with how well worn it was, but the extra large size that blanketed the omega - which was no small feat, considering that the omega was as bulky as a large alpha himself - made him feel as if he was cocooned in a safety blanket. And after continuously having to bare himself and face the torture that would strike against his naked skin, the warm hoodie was eagerly welcomed on to the hunter. 

  Dean slowly opened the door, praying it wouldn't creak. He didn't remember any of the floorboards or doors making any noises as of yet, but it would be just his luck to wake up one of the brothers and be accused of sneaking around - or even sneaking out again. Which he wasn’t. He was just… exploring. Or finding something to occupy his mind with. Yeah. That.  

  Making his way down the stairs, he came to a stop at the living room, glancing longingly at the balcony outside. He didn't dare open the door though, in case there was a security alarm ready to go off. And knowing  what he did about Balt, there probably was. 

  So instead, Dean turned to the large flat screen TV at the wall, the two shelves beside it filled with DVD cases at the bottom and books on top. He paused at the sight of the books, tilting his head sideways to read the title on a rather large and old binding. 

_ The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture. _

  Shaking his head, he took a step back before lowering himself to be more at eye level with the DVDs instead, his eyes roaming through the many titles before taking out the first season of Game of Thrones. He had yet to see it, and honestly never thought he would. But after seeing Cas with the book, he guessed he might as well. 

  After popping in the DVD into its player, and playing around with the settings and making sure the volume was low enough, he finally got the first episode to play. Walking over to the couch right across the TV, he settled himself on it just as someone spoke. 

  "Couldn't sleep?"

  Dean jumped up from the couch, gasping for breath. His hands automatically went to his waistband, reaching for the gun he had well and already put away, before he realized who was talking. 

  "Jesus - Cas! Wear a bell!" He exclaimed. 

  The man came closer, his head tilting to the side as he regarded Dean curiously. 

  "I've startled you," he observed. "For which I apologize."

  Dean shook his head, waving vaguely towards Cas. 

  "Nah, not your fault." Dean sighed. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep. What about you?" He asked, looking up at Cas. The other man paused, before looking at the couch besides Dean. 

  "May I?" He asked, and in response Dean scooted a bit to give the man more space. Cas sat down, watching the TV intently. Just when Dean was beginning to think the man wouldn't reply, that’s when Cas finally did. 

  "No. I guess I haven't been able to sleep either." Cas's response was jilted, his posture stiff. Dean felt as if the man was lying, but decided against pushing it. They all did have their secrets, after all. 

  Dean had turned back to the TV. He settled himself for watching uncomfortably with the alpha beside him. But then the alpha looked at Dean. 

  "What is this?"

  Dean blinked in confusion. "Uh..."

  Cas gestured to the TV, and Dean blanched. 

  "Oh. You haven't - right, you just started reading the book. Game of Thrones," Dean responded, his head tilting towards the TV at the end. "Figured I might as well see it after I saw you guys had the DVD." He paused. "You don't mind, do you?" At Cas's questioning glance, he elaborated. "That I sorta took advantage." Cas's face cleared, and he looked at Dean with a strange expression on his face. Was he... smiling?

  "Not at all. Like I said, you're always welcome, Dean. Including using our resources. It's a bit refreshing, actually, to see something that's not pornography playing on the TV." He mentioned casually, looking back at the TV, and hence missing Dean's double take. 

  "Uh," he swallowed, trying hard not to imagine the alpha jacking himself off. In the living room. Possibly right where he was sitting right now. "Porn?" He finally managed. Cas looked back at him, a vague look of displeasure on his face. 

  "Yes. For some reason, Gabriel finds it very funny."

  Oh. Right. Gabe. Not Cas. Gabe... that still didn't do much to calm Dean down. Did the man seriously get himself off in the living room? And please god, not  _ him _ where Dean was sitting. 

  "Right." He shifted uncomfortably, but then stopped when Cas looked at him in confusion. 

  "Are you alright?"

   "Yeah, peaches." He responded, but then snorted as a thought occurred to him. "You did read the book, right? ‘Cause believe me, if I heard right, this show should have it's fair share of sex and death scenes." He grinned widely at Cas's frown. But after that, they stayed silent, their focus on the TV as it quietly played the episode. 

  Halfway through, when a guard was caught having sex, he heard Cas letting out a small huff. Turning to look at him with amusement, he couldn't quite make out Cas's expression in the dark, only partially lightened by the TV. But, as Dean continued to ignore the TV, he could see the small wrinkles in his face, forming a slight expression of barely there outrage when Jamie pushed the boy out of the window. 

  Dean blinked, suddenly surprised as he felt sleep creeping up on him. Turning back to the TV, abruptly aware of how long he was staring at Cas, Dean slouched a bit more on the couch. He was barely paying attention to the TV now, too busy being lulled to sleep with the comforting scent of rainwater radiating from the alpha by his side. Cas was still watching the show, but Dean wondered how he was even at ease with how stiffly he was sitting, his back ramrod straight and fingers interlaced together on his lap, as if he was sitting in the presence of the friggin’ Queen of England. 

  Funny, how Dean didn't mind, though, that he was about to fall asleep besides an alpha he barely knew. He'd have expected to be less alert at his own motel room, which was warded heavily against demons and just about every other creature he knew. And yet his muscles were far more lax and practically melting against the couch, the alpha's scent practically a sedative to his senses. 

  But still. Despite the lack of wardings... Dean still felt safe, lazily slumped against the furniture and wrapped in a warm hoodie. Which was weird, because it wasn't like Cas could deal with anything that decided to come after Dean Winchester, vulnerable in sleep, especially without weapons. 

  That was his last thought before Dean succumbed to his slumber anyway. This time his dreams were far more pleasant as he flew across an expanse of blue into subconsciousness, his dream-self weightless and free from the burdens the hunter carried when awake.  

 

oOo

 

  When Dean woke up the next morning, the sun shining on his face, he blinked in confusion as he tried to reorient himself, confused with his surroundings. When the previous night's memory finally filled his mind, he let himself relax, staring at the blanket pulled over him in confusion. Standing up, he let the blanket fall on the bed, stretching his muscles and sighing in relief. They felt much better, which was a big surprise in itself. After being suspended the previous day for what felt like an eternity, he'd have thought he'd have been sore for days to come, in all honesty. 

  A movement to his right caught his attention, and he looked out through the glass of the balcony doors to see Cas calmly standing outside. His face was towards the rising sun as he absently stroked a leaf of a nearby plant. Dean folded the blanket, placing it neatly on the back of the sofa before walking over to join the alpha outside. 

  "Good morning, Dean." Cas greeted, not even turning around. 

  "Morning, Cas." Dean came to a stop beside him, letting the sun shine on his face. The feeling, along with a slight morning breeze cooling against his face, combined with the contradicting smell of mildew beside him, felt rejuvenating to Dean's senses. 

  "Sleep well?"

  Dean hummed. "Surprisingly, yeah."

  They were silent. Standing side by side, they took in the fresh air, the sun's rays hitting their faces. The moment was so calm and serene, Dean didn't bother speaking, feeling like even the slightest noise would break the moment.  

  Together, they watched the sunrise.

 

oOo

 

  "So what do you do?" Dean asked, curiously watching Cas as he placed a plate of eggs in front of him. Grabbing a plate for himself, albeit with a smaller serving, Cas sat across from Dean. He played around with his plate of eggs, before eventually spearing a piece of fruit with his fork. 

  "I usually tend to my gardens and bees. If I'm not doing that, I read on how to better care for them." He placed the fruit in his mouth, chewing slowly, his face screwed in concentration. 

  Dean raised his eyebrow, pausing with a forkful of bacon in his hand. 

  "Is that... literally all you do?" He asked, almost dumbfounded. 

  "Yes?" 

  Dean shook his head, quickly eating at his bacon. "Do you not go anywhere?" He asked. 

  "I frequent my brother's shops, as you must know. I also tend to go on... nature walks, I suppose. I find them quite calming."

  Dean stared at Cas. He had a sudden sinking feeling that, if what he was saying was true, then Cas didn't actually go out much with friends. If he even had any. The prospect of Cas not having an actual job didn’t even occur to Dean.

  Not that Dean was in a place to judge. But still. A man that had so far been nothing but kind to Dean - and though Dean was waiting for the other shoe to drop, the feeling decreased incrementally with each meeting - deserved a lot more than what seemed to be a lonely life. 

  "Yeah, no, that just won't do." Dean decided. Cas looked up at Dean in confusion, a forkful of watermelon halfway to his mouth. "We're gonna have to get you out more." He paused, suddenly hesitant. "Uh, you free tonight, Cas?" He studiously looked down at his plateful of eggs and bacon, trying to sound nonchalant. 

  "I believe I am." Cas responded evenly. When Dean chanced a look at Cas, he found the man looking at him, open curiosity ever so slightly visible on the man's perpetually near poker face. 

  Dean swallowed. "That's great. I'm going to take you out then, introduce you to some people. Sound good?" He asked his plate of breakfast. 

  "Yes, Dean." When he looked up, Cas was smiling genuinely back at him. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 14

 

  Night time couldn't have come any faster for Dean. And yet, he didn't mind the wait. Much. 

  After breakfast, Cas had excused himself to go to his garden, but then paused and invited Dean along. Eager to see what the alpha was so fond of, he had accepted Cas's offer. He was a bit wary when Cas had dressed them both in the beekeeping outfits, but tried to reassure himself with the fact that the alpha must have known what he was doing. Even though the man fumbled a bit with the beekeeping outfit. But then again, it was mainly with Dean's suit, so maybe he just wasn't used to suiting up others. 

  He still couldn't help but blurt it out though, especially when Cas looked a bit uncomfortable as they made their way to his room. "Having some trouble there, Cas?" 

  He thought the man would laugh it off. But instead, the alpha froze, looking at Dean a with a hint of sheepishness gracing his features. 

  "I don't usually wear these." He finally admitted. Of all the things Dean thought he would say, that was not it for sure. Dean blanched. 

  "You're telling me... you tend to your bees... without the suit?" He asked incredulously. And great, now he just felt stupid in the big, cumbersome, outfit. 

  Cas's head tilted to the side, and along with it, the large netted hat. "Yes. I find it easier to deal with them."

  Dean's stare didn't waver. "How-but-don't you get stung?"

  "No." 

  Yeah, that wasn't hard to believe at all. 

  "Alright then," Dean said, feeling uncomfortable. "Do whatever works for you man, but uh, I think I'll keep the suit." Like hell was he gonna trust that he wouldn't get stung. Nah, he wasn’t that stupid enough to push his luck.

  But as if he was finally liberated, Cas immediately stripped free from his suit, and soon he was standing in his black slacks and white dress shirt again. Now that Dean thought about it, he wondered if he ever saw the man wearing anything else, but then realized that no, he didn't. Except for the fact that he was lacking his tie, coat, and a fricking trench coat of all things... he was practically in the same ensemble anyway. Or at least part of it. 

  They continued on their way to Cas' bedroom, Dean lumbering behind the alpha with less grace than the man in front of him. When they stepped into the bedroom, Cas continued on his way to the glass doors leading to the balcony on the other side of the bed, but Dean paused, taking in the sight of Cas's bedroom. 

  The bed was a bit sparse, just a plain brown bed with the headboard against the wall on his right with white and blue sheets neatly done without a single crease. Besides the balcony doors was a desk, on which books were stacked to rest against the wall. And to his left, the entire wall was taken up more bookshelves, each shelf from floor to wall standing side by side without a gap, except for a door at the center. And even then, there was a shelf for a stack of books above the wall. It was like a fricking library in here. 

  The sound of the balcony doors opening broke Dean out of his observation, and he hastened to follow Cas outside. He came to another surprised stop. The balcony was a lot larger than he expected, which was a probably a good thing, considering the amount of plants Dean found surrounding him. 

  Cas was standing a few feet away, inspecting a large leaf up close. When Dean stepped closer, Cas looked up, and for the first time, he grinned at the sight of Dean. 

  "Would you like to see the bees?" He asked. 

  "Well I did suit up to see them, so yeah." Not to mention, he didn't want that grin to leave Cas's face. Even though he was still finding it harder to believe that Cas was actually going into a bee's lair without any form of protection. 

  Cas led him further out into the balcony. To the left of him, the rail was a good several feet away from him, and potted plants were placed so that it would be easy to walk over to any one of them. 

  When they finally reached the beehives, Dean felt his heart rate rise. He was glad that he was wearing the bee suit, despite the sweltering summer heat... but he stood there in shock when Cas just walked up to the beehive - and stuck his bare hand in one. 

  He couldn't bring himself to speak. He initially wanted to yell out, but barely managed to restrain himself, in case any sounds would shock and provoke the bees into attacking Cas. So he stayed silent, staring in awe as Cas withdrew his hand, holding a honeycomb. Cas turned to look at Dean, his face beaming. 

  "Would you like a taste?"

 

oOo 

 

  The honey actually tasted pretty damn good if Dean had to say so himself. That is, after Cas managed to convince Dean that it was perfectly fine to eat it, and no, there wasn't any bee bits attached to it. 

  For the remainder of the day, Dean contented himself to watch the man at work. Once they left the vicinity of the beehives, Dean immediately stripped. After seeing Cas actually not getting stung, he was partially tempted to see if he would be fine as well, but didn't want to push it. But he wasn't comfortable in the big suit near the plants, feeling as if one careless gesture would have the pots tumbling. Plus, he was starting to become a sweaty mess inside it. So with not much regret, he left the bee suit in a heap on the ground, leaning against the rail and letting the warm sun shine on his face as he watched Cas tend to each and every one of his plant. 

  The morning had passed that way, with them stopping at noon for lunch. Cas has insisted on baking them bread from scratch, using a healthy amount of the honey he collected in it. He didn't let Dean help him, though he let him watch and give him company. And while the bread was baking in the oven, Cas made himself some honey tea, but when Dean declined some for himself, he passed him a beer, the last of the honey swirling in its depths. 

  Dean stared at his mug doubtfully. 

  "I don't think beer is supposed to have honey in it, Cas." He stated. 

  "Well actually, beer is mostly derived from a form of malted barley, and there are healthy yet tasty drinks out there that are only made up of barley, milk, and honey. And that can make for a satisfying meal in itself, for those on a diet as well. So this, while replacing milk with alcohol, still has barley in it, and the honey is naturally a good compliment." Castiel cocked an eyebrow at Dean over his tea cup. "Have you not tried it before?"

  "No." Dean paused, and then sighed. With a begrudging look at Cas, he hesitantly lifted the mug to his lips, and took a sip. 

  And then a larger sip. 

  And then he had to force himself to slow down, before he emptied it in one go. 

  "I told you." Cas told him smugly. 

  "Yeah, yeah - shut up."

  After lunch, they retreated back to the living room. Cas had wanted to continue reading Game of Thrones, insisting that now that he was watching the show with Dean, he wanted to be well ahead in the book first. Dean had no idea when them watching the show became a thing, but he wasn't going to complain. As Cas settled on an armchair, sitting all proper and posed while reading Game of Thrones, Dean lounged on the sofa, flipping through the channels on the TV before spotting his favorite channel. Placing down the remote, he grinned as Dr. Sexy came onscreen. 

  They stayed like that, only interrupted when Cas suddenly stood and disappeared only to return with bowl of popcorn, which he handed to Dean. "I hear it's a tradition to consume popcorn while watching TV." 

  Dean accepted the bowl, beaming at Cas. "It's not licorice, but thanks man."

  Cas nodded, sitting back down. 

  "Licorice?" He asked. "Is that not used for medicinal purposes, though?" 

  Dean looked at him, taking a handful of popcorn. "Uh, no. You know the red twisty pieces of candy?" At Cas's blank look, he couldn't help but look a bit affronted. "Damn, Cas. You sure have some learning to do." He looked back at the TV, missing the almost fond look the alpha shot at Dean. 

  "Licorice being used as medicine. Who'd'a known?" Dean muttered, before shoveling more popcorn in his mouth. 

  Sounds of the TV, popcorn munching, and the occasional sound of a page being turned filled the living room. They were barely prepared for when, right after the sunset, the door suddenly slammed open. 

  Dean flinched, his hands automatically going back to the waistband of his pants. Cas didn't even look perturbed though, calmly looking up as Balt and Gabe came through the door. 

  "Hey Dean-o!" Gabe greeted, carrying a large box as he entered, bringing in the aroma of pastries as well with him. Balt, on the other hand, smelled a bit musty as he leaned over the back of the couch besides Dean, looking at the TV. 

  "What in heavens are you watching?" The frenchman asked. 

  Quick as a flash, Dean reached for the remote, turning off the TV. His face was burning as he cleared his throat, studiously not looking at the beta. "Nothing. Just channel surfing." Cas shot him a glance, but he didn't say anything. 

  Gabe peered at them from the hallway, only his head visible from beyond the turning of the corner. "Well? Are you guys coming?"

  Cas sighed, placing a bookmark in his book before closing it. 

  "He brought a few of his leftovers. He doesn't like it going to waste, so he brings it home to us.” He explained to Dean, getting up from his armchair. His confusion cleared, Dean eagerly stood up as well now. He wasn't gonna miss out on a chance for eating Gabe's baking, especially for free. God knows the day he does, that was the day something was wrong. “Though why he doesn’t just take it along with the fresh batch to the Children’s Hospital who will undoubtedly appreciate it more is beyond me." Cas muttered from behind Dean.

  Dean walked over to the kitchen, not even caring that he was ahead of Cas and Balt. He only stopped when he was standing at the kitchen island, watching Gabe carefully cut out a slice of pie and place it on the plate besides the box. He slid the plate over to Dean before starting on cutting another slice of pie. 

  "Caramel custard pie. Dig in!" He grinned as Dean immediately reached for the small spoon, scooping up a piece of pie onto it before shoveling it in his mouth. Absently, he reached for the barstool at the island, seating himself on it as he moaned. 

  "Gabe, you are a gift to mankind. Can I keep you?" Gabe let out chuckled, winking at Dean. 

  "Sorry, Dean-o, but I'm married to my baking as well." 

  They chuckled as Gabe cut out a few more slices of pie, handing Cas one - Balt refused, and just stood there leaning against the kitchen counter with a glass of wine in hand - before taking the plate filled to the edges with a rather large slice in it for himself. Dean raised an eyebrow at him for that, but stayed silent, too busy savoring his own dessert. 

  When he finished, he got up and washed his plate, leaving it on the rack to dry before turning to Cas. The alpha was just finishing up just own slice, when he looked up at Dean. His question took Dean by surprise. 

  "Shall we leave?" He didn't think Cas would actually remember. In fact, it took Dean a moment to realize what Cas was talking about himself, but then flushed, elated. 

  "Yeah, whenever you're ready, buddy." Gabe looked up from his pie. Despite his earlier voracity for it, he was eating his pie with small, delicate bites. How he managed that kind of pace was beyond Dean's capability to comprehend. 

  "Leave? Where?"

  Dean glanced at Cas. "I was gonna take him up to the bar, introduce him to a few friends-"

  "Why, Cassie!" Gabe abruptly cut in, looking at Cas with mock astonishment. "Meeting the family already?"

  Dean rolled his eyes, ignoring weird feeling in his stomach at that. It wasn't like Cas was going to actually meet his family. More like the only people Dean had allowed himself to talk to for more than once. And besides, if Cas was to actually meet his family...

  He shut down that train of thought, vaguely wondering why he was even thinking of Cas being in that place anyway. Dean was already mated, but like hell was he gonna introduce Alastair to anyone though. Seriously, that was just screwed up all ways to Sunday.

  "I was under the assumption that Dean had planned on getting me drunk. I highly doubt it would be wise for one to lose their sobriety when meeting their significant other's relations, or something that said significant other would encourage in the first place. Not that Dean and I are in such a relationship anyway." Cas finished delivering his speech calmly, not the least bit perturbed about the subject of his response - or the fact that he was blatantly lying. He was the only one though, as Dean felt himself radiate embarrassment, barely able to control his scent - and by which that if someone were to scent him right now, he'd reek of it - while Cas's brothers were staring gobsmacked at Cas. Gabe more so than Balt, but even then, that only lasted a second, as Gabe burst out into laughter. Even Balt let out a small smirk, sipping at his wine while Gabe pretended to wipe away tears of mirth from his eyes. 

  "Oh man, that sounded like the lamest speech ever to try and cover up a secret relationship. If Dean wasn't mated, I'd have thought you guys were actually doing the do - you even smell like my brother!" Gabe exclaimed, looking at Dean with glee, but froze when he took in Dean's pallid face. "You okay there, buddy?" 

  Dean internally shook himself, trying to keep up with the events unfolding around him. One moment good natured jests were being thrown around, and the next Dean was painfully reminded that he was, for all intents and purposes, taken. 

  And what the hell was Gabe talking about, saying that the omega smelled like Cas?

  "Yeah, everything's cool." Dean replied, trying to nonchalantly sniff at himself. Oh damn, Gabe was right... since he was long immune to, he couldn't really smell himself unless he was wearing blockers, cologne, or reeked of either strong emotions or plain old dirt. Or other external factors, in this case, rain and mildew. It must have somehow rubbed off on him during his time with the alpha, although it wasn't like the alpha scented him particularly, so how...?

  "Ready to go?" Dean asked instead, looking at Cas. Maybe it was just because he had been hanging out around the alpha. That must have been it. 

  "Oh he's coming. And so are we!" Gabe exclaimed, jumping up and dumping his plate in the sink. 

  Dean raised his eyebrows, looking at the beta. "Oh, come on. It's been awhile since the three of us went to grab a drink together. And who knows - maybe you can help actually loosening up Cas this time!"

  At the time, Dean thought he could vaguely understand Gabe's sentiment. The alpha was usually so... stiff, such as even when he was reading. Honestly the only time Dean saw him the slightest bit relaxed was with his bees and plants. A few beers would surely help the man to lighten up, and Dean found himself getting excited at the sudden prospect as well, though it hadn’t even been their actual plan. Nonetheless, he could always see Cas getting drunk after he made some new friends. 

  And then Dean found out how very wrong he was - in regards to getting Cas drunk. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 15 

 

  The doors to the bar were held open as they entered by Benny, the group of four waiting to let a gaggle of college students giggling out before they entered. Dean cast the alpha a grin and a nod as they passed him, to which Benny returned it with a wink. If the bouncer was there, then tonight was definitely gonna be crowded, and sure enough, when they step foot inside, they were immediately hit with the smell of liquor and sweat, the sounds of a drunken crowd cheering around them. The darts board and the pool table both occupied, and each with its own audience. It was a Friday night, and the traffic was to be expected. 

  Dean was the one who managed to catch them a booth first, most likely just emptied by the college students who left prior. Despite the heady smell of gruff alphas and sickly sweet omegas being heavy in the air, Dean felt totally in his element, not cringing at the loud noise or when people continuously bumped into him. 

  Looking over, he saw that while Gabe seemed to be having fun watching the crowd, with even Balt looking around interestedly, Cas didn't look particularly comfortable. 

  "You okay?" Dean asked, sliding into the booth beside the alpha and leaning in close to Cas's ear so he could hear him. 

  Cas nodded, though he still continued looking around at the crowd as if with distrust. 

  "Relax," Dean said, knocking his shoulder into Cas's. "It's not like anyone's gonna bite you. Well. Unless you asked."

  Balt let out a snort, glancing at them amusedly from Cas's other side. Gabe was distracted, looking at a group of ladies wearing dresses so tight and barely reaching their thighs or covering their breasts. The beta let out a low whistle. 

  "Well, hello, ladies." They heard Gabe mutter. But he made no move to go over to them. He just continued to ogle at them from beside's Balt. 

  "Right. I guess I'm gonna go get the first round. Anything in particular?" Dean stood up, taking their orders before making his way to the bar. Although he could see a few not too bad lookin’ people, or even interested glances coming his way, he didn't bother going after anyone. For some reason, he wasn't feeling very up to it, and it wasn't like his advances would be welcomed or reciprocated anyway, seeing as that being mated affected his scent, and they’d know it the moment anyone got a proper whiff of him. 

  "Hey gorgeous!" Dean greeted, raising his voice to be heard over the clamor. Before Anne saw him, he saw her roll her eyes, visibly preparing herself to be hit on before loosening herself and turning with a large, flirtatious, and fake grin. But it dropped when Anne saw Dean, replaced with a much more genuine smile. And then she frowned. 

  "Jimmy! You massive jerk, you disappeared on Adam just like that that day after he told you he'd take you home - do you know how worried he was?"

  Dean cringed. "Yeah. Sorry about that. Got a call and had to head out, and you know, by the time I was done I was sober enough to head home myself so," he shrugged, before casting her an easy grin. "But I'm here now, aren't I?"

  She still looked disgruntled, but sighed anyway. "So what'll it be?" 

  When he conveyed his comparatively lengthy order, she raised her eyebrows. "Out with some friends?"

  He shrugged again, this time with forced casualness. "Guess you could say that." Anne gave him a soft smile.

  "You go back to your table. I'll be there with your order myself."

  Dean was about to protest, but she cut him off. "Please. I could do a break with these stragglers. And besides, Adam knows how to hold his own." And with that, she spun around, walking over to the drinks to get Dean's order ready. Not able to do much apart from accept his situation, Dean turned back to his own table, easily sliding back in besides Cas. 

  "Anne'll be here with our drinks. Told you I'd introduce you to some new faces, didn't I?" He looked to Cas. 

  Cas tilted his head, his hand absently playing with the napkin dispenser. 

  "Yes, Dean. You did." He replied seriously. 

  The man may have ordered a simple beer for now, but Dean was so gonna get him on the stronger stuff as soon as possible. While the night was still young. 

  They made small talk, Cas enthusiastically starting about the benefits and usage for the herbal licorice. Balt rolled his eyes with a sigh, but Dean could tell he was sort of vaguely listening anyway. As for Dean, well. He sort of lost Cas along the first few words on the way the plant was cultivated, and yet, Dean was still enraptured by the man. The way Cas continued to fiddle with a napkin, his voice seemingly monotone until you paid attention to the minor inflections that gave away his passion for the subject, his blue eyes lighting up, his perfectly shapely lips forming around the words... 

  A tray of drinks was slammed down in front of them, and Dean blinked. Abruptly aware of how close he was leaning to Cas, he sat back, trying to dispel the smell of ozone from his nostrils as Anne seated herself by him. 

  "Hey." Anne greeted the brothers with a smile, happily leaning into her fellow omega's side. "You must be Dean's friends."

  Gabe leered, looking suggestively up and down the omega. 

  "Gabe, owner of your very own  _ Sweet Stop _ , at your service. And who must this fine young lady be?" Anne raised her eyebrows, looking a bit affronted, but it was Dean who spoke up. 

  "Paws off the merch, Gabe, this girl’s way outta your league." He shot Gabe a look even as he grinned, reaching for his own beer while handing Cas's to him with his other hand. 

  Gabe raised his hands placatingly. "Just introducing myself." He said lightly, but winked at Anne anyway before reaching for his fruity cocktail. 

  "Anyway. Yeah, that's Gabe, and that's Balt," Dean gestured to the Frenchman with his beer, who, while still looked at Anne appraisingly, wisely kept his mouth shut. "And this is Cas." He looked to the alpha with a smile. Cas smiled back at him, before taking a sip of his beer. He immediately grimaced, to which Dean laughed aloud at. 

  "I don't understand how people find this taste addicting." Cas stared blankly. Dean let out an indignant huff, ready to retort, but Anne leaned over him to shoot Cas a secretive smile. 

  "Don't question it too much. It's what's keeping me in business."

  Cas still looked unsure, but took another sip anyway. 

  "Ah, ever the gentleman, Cassie is. After all, who would want to rid such a lovely lady of her profession?" Balt teased Cas, his glass of scotch held daintily in his hand. 

  "Right, well, in that case, a round of shots on Balt's tab next." Dean smirked at Anne, who shook her head fondly at the man. Balt chortled over his scotch. 

  "Why, Dean, sly fox you!"

 

oOo

 

  Gabe and Balt cheered as Cas downed all his shots in one go. Dean, on the other hand, stared bewilderedly. 

  "You're really not feeling anything?" He asked, when Cas swallowed the contents of his last glass. 

  "I think I'm feeling something."  He said, but his gaze was too clear when he looked back at Dean. 

  Dean swallowed. 

  "One more round, Anne!" Balt shouted giddily. 

  She quickly brought it over, shooting Cas a clearly impressed look. As she lingered to watch, Cas started from his left, slamming back drink after drink without a single pause until he came to the end. Absently, Dean found his eyes tracing Cas's hands at first, as it gripped onto a glass, and then his mouth when the glass came into contact with it, his lips flush as the liquid went in, a stray drop making its way down Cas's throat. 

  "Damn," Anne breathed, breaking Dean out of his stare. "And you're still upright?"

  "Dude - how many fingers am I holding up?" Adam broke in, leaning towards them as he quickly fixed another customer's drink without paying attention, hands working on automatic. 

  "You're not."

  "Awesome!" Adam cackled as he left them, grinning widely while giving the customer her cocktail. 

  "Fuck." Dean whispered. Despite his ability to hold his own drink well, Cas was making him look like a lightweight right now. Maybe the contest they had a few - several - rounds ago wasn't the best of ideas, seeing as Dean was now having a hard time tearing his eyes away from Cas's torso. Stripped free from his trench coat, it was like being granted a clothed tease, with the shifts of muscle only subtly revealed every now and then from underneath the sweat slicked dress shirt sticking to Cas’s skin. 

  Dean slammed back another one of his whisky, ignoring the sharp burn as it went down his throat. Cas looked at him in concern. "Are you alright?"

  "Peachy." He muttered, not wanting to meet Cas’s gaze, but finding himself doing so anyway, and immediately losing himself in its depths.

  "Jimmy!"

  He startled at the vaguely familiar voice, turning just in time to come into contact with a face full of red. 

  "Charlie?" 

  "Hey!" The omega grinned widely as she greeted Dean, her eyes quickly looking at the three brothers before looking back at Dean. "Wow. I don't think I've ever seen you outside the computer lab before."

  Dean chuckled uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, well.” He trailed off, unsure as to what to say next. 

  But Charlie wasn't too fazed when he wasn't very forthcoming with an answer. "Anyway, now that you’re here, I actually want to introduce you to someone!" She exclaimed brightly. She turned to the tall brunette standing by them, who was looking at Dean curiously. Dean had noticed her before, but was too focused on Charlie's abrupt, practically out of the blue into an appearance of red, that he didn't pay her much attention initially. 

  "This is Gilda!" Charlie looked at the brunette, and Dean couldn't help but smile at the redhead's expression. It was so very clear that she was head over heels for the other omega. "She's my mate." Huh. Must have been newly mated, because Dean didn’t think he’d ever scented hints of another person on Charlie before.

  Dean nodded at her, awkwardly shaking her hand. "Nice meeting you. I'm Jimmy." Ignoring the looks he was sure he was getting from the brothers, Dean was about to turn around and introduce Cas when Balt popped up right by them, nearly giving Dean a heart attack. Charlie let out a small surprised shriek herself, before promptly covering her mouth in embarrassment. The way Gilda remained stoic though didn't fail to remind Dean of Cas at that moment. 

  "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Balthazar, and it's quite a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady." His gaze was far too intense as he kissed the back of Gilda's hand, leaving Dean to be confused. He didn't know if he should be worried or annoyed - on Charlie's behalf - that the man was mooning over her mate. 

  "Pleasure indeed." She replied, staring back evenly at Balt. A moment passed, before Gilda turned her head, retracting her hand from Balt's grip. 

  "And these are-" Gilda paused, and Charlie jumped in, only to stop herself. 

  "Oh! These, um..." she looked at Dean, and he sighed, taking over. 

  "Charlie, Gilda. Meet Cas and Gabe." He smiled tightly, before turning back to his drink. Being suddenly surrounded by so many people was making him uncomfortable, and he'd much rather be more drunk before he had to deal with socializing. Like, drunk to the point of unconsciousness. 

  Beside him, he saw Cas frown on one side, and on the other, Charlie's smile visibly dropped. He winced. Beside her, Balt was fixed with a staring match with Gilda, and if he didn't know better, Dean would say that the two were silently communicating though their eyes. 

  Great. Looks like he'd have to play peace maker, because god forbid he'd ditch Cas after telling the man he'd introduce him to new people. Waving at Adam for a drink first, he leaned back so that Cas and Charlie would have better sight of each other. 

  "So Charlie. Tell Cas here about LARP'ing." 

  Immediately, the smile was back on Charlie's face, and she started to regale Cas with what she deemed were the highlights of LARP'ing. It sounded an awful lot like her entire life though. 

  Dean ignored Cas's knowing look as he slammed back another glass of a special imported liquid - today's special, as advertised on the menu. And continued to do so while he asked for another. And another. And another. 

  But then he couldn't ignore the alpha any longer when Cas placed a hand on Dean's latest glass, physically stopping him from drinking. It was then that Dean realized Charlie and Gilda were off to the side, talking to Balt and Gabe seriously. He wondered what had them with such straight faces. More than what he could say for Charlie and Gilda though. 

  He snorted at the thought. Damn, he was  _ really _ drunk. 

  Dean grinned lazily, trying to pick up his glass. He scowled at Cas when he didn't let go, however. 

  "C'mon," he slurred. "One more?" Cas let go of the glass, only to grab into Dean's hand instead. He started to lead him by hand away from the barstools, tossing a handful of cash on the bar with a nod at a worried looking Adam. 

  "You're drunk." Cas stated flatly, holding Dean close to his side as they made their way through the crowd. 

  Dean hummed. "You're not."

  "It's not very easy to get me drunk." Cas admitted. 

  Dean huffed, trying not to trip over his legs when Cas suddenly pulled him closer as they had to shove through a particular tight gap between people. "Yeah. 'Parently." He inhaled deeply. The close proximity with Cas was making his senses tingle, the smell of rainwater tickling his nose. Wanting more, he leaned closer, trying to get a better sniff. 

  "You smell..." he paused, trying to think of the right word. "Good." He managed, his voice nearly muffled as he pressed his face into Cas's neck. He vaguely heard Cas gasp. 

  "Uh, Dean. Could you please give me your car keys?" He asked, sounding pained. Dean frowned, but didn't move. Instead, he held onto Cas tighter, his fingers wrapped in the lapels of the alpha's trench coat. 

  "Why?" He asked with confusion. 

  "Because we're at your car, and you're too drunk to drive."

  Dean snorted. "Drove in worse con-condi- something." He shook his head, lightly placing it on Cas's shoulder. Worry tinged the alpha's scent. 

  "That's not very comforting. I'd much rather drive you home right now, Dean." His voice held no place for argument, so Dean sighed. Clumsy fingers reached for his jacket pocket, but he couldn't seem to get his fingers into the slit. 

  "Shit, that Japanese bottle really hit the spot." He mumbled. After another struggle with his pocket, he gave up, letting his hand fall to his side. "You do it."

  There was a pause, and then hesitant fingers reached for his jacket. Dean barely felt anything - much to his disappointment. Cas extracted his hand, the keys held in his grip. Holding firmly onto Dean, he unlocked the driver's side door, unlocking the rest from the inside before he escorted him to the other side. He held the door open, carefully manhandling Dean into the passenger's seat. 

  "Why, Cas! An' here we thought you were a gentleman." Dean snickered, his eyes slipping closed as his head tipped forward. God he was so sleepy...

  "'Least buy me dinner first." He muttered. Whatever Cas replied with, he didn't know, because Dean was soon fast asleep. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 16

 

  Dean was asleep when they reached the suite, and Castiel didn't have the heart to wake him. He took a moment to just stare at the omega. Asleep, his facial muscles were lax, causing him to look more at peace. Which Castiel was happy for. The previous night, despite being in the depths of slumber, there was a pinched look on the man's face. Unable to resist, he had reached forward from his place on the armchair, placing a finger on Dean's forehead. When he felt the man's immense discomfort with the intensity of his sore muscles, Castiel didn't even think twice about using his grace to ease away the pain. 

  But now, he looked much more content. It made Castiel feel weird to think that the omega probably didn't get to feel like that often these days. 

  He got out of the vehicle, walking over to the other side of it. He wished he could fly, but he was always so careful in using it, never sure when he'd need to use more of it later. Small bursts were always acceptable, but even then, if it were to be used far too many times in one day and in one place...

  Castiel opened the door, his angelic strength by default making it easy to carry out the unconscious hunter. Hating how much their current scenario was much similar to the first time Castiel met Dean, he barely remembered to lock the door just before entering the suite, ignoring Michael giving him a weird look from behind the desk. He supposed it was weird for him to be seen carrying a man in a bridal's hold, especially what with Castiel being barely seen with company - except for maybe his brothers, but even that was only a handful of times. The alpha wasn't completely oblivious to his own reclusiveness, but he much preferred to be that way. Though with Dean, he didn't mind the company at all...

  The entire elevator ride he held Dean in his arms, his hold neither faltering nor did the omega awaken. Getting into his suite, he walked directly to Dean's room, using his grace to lift back the covers before setting Dean down, manually pulling the covers back over him. 

  For a while, he stood there, watching Dean sleep. Settled in bed, Dean frowned a bit, before turning over to his side, his face smoothing out again as he fluffed up the pillow under his head in his sleep. 

  Not aware of his own smile, Castiel exited the room, careful to be silent as he shut the door behind him. He made his way to the kitchen, heating some water as he fetched a mug and a teabag. He may not have needed to eat or drink anything, and didn't really prefer to do so unless to maintain his appearances in public, or to test out Gabriel's concoctions. The taste of molecules bunched up together intricately was quite unpleasant in his mouth, and it took immense levels of concentration to ignore the details as he was prone to do and merely skim over it to taste it as humans would. 

  A cup of chamomile tea in hand, he settled himself on the barstool, his arms leaning on the kitchen island, cupping the mug. He absently took a sip, mind drifting to his bees upstairs when Castiel heard a pained moan. 

  Frowning, he sat upright, the lines on his face deepening when a grunt followed the sound. And then a yell. 

  " _ No _ !"

  He abruptly stood, the barstool sliding behind him at the force of the action, mug tilting dangerous to the side on the island. Not even thinking about it, he flew upstairs to Dean's room, ready to obliterate anything or anyone hurting Dean. The smell of distressed omega was heavy in the air, to the extent that it was seeping out into the hallway. When he entered the room, it stank of the scent, but Castiel froze when he took in the sight in front of him. 

  Instead of a monster or even another angel standing above the omega, Dean was twisting and turning in bed, his face scrunched up as his nightmare held him in its throes. 

  "Stop." Dean mumbled, gasping as his back arched from the bed, his hands clenching into fists. His voice prompted Castiel into action, and he leaned forward, his fingers reaching to Dean's forehead -

 

_ He was suspended in midair, held far too tightly with thin ropes wrapped around his body, cutting into skin whenever Dean writhed in pain.  _

_ A voice tutted from behind Dean.  _

_ "Now, now. Stop pretending like it doesn't hurt." _

_ An electrical surge erupted from Dean's anus, and Dean screamed, his body immediately trying to arch forward and away from the pain.  _

 

  Castiel gasped, blinking his eyes open as he tore his fingers away from Dean's forehead. 

  "Oh, Dean." He muttered, his voice pained. He desperately wanted to take away Dean's nightmares, but for some reason, his grace was once again, taking him into the omega's subconscious. He'd have to wonder why that was later, but for now, it looks like he would have to wake up Dean physically instead. 

  "Dean." He tried to lightly shake him awake, but when it didn't work, he shook him harder, calling his name out louder. "Dean!"

  Dean's eyes flew open as he gasped, and the next second Castiel had to move backwards as the omega came at him with a punch. 

  "Dean! Calm down, it's just me - Castiel!" He tried to placate him, staying a few feet away from Dean. 

  Dean blinked, his eyes clearing as they landed on Castiel after a moment. 

  "Cas?" 

  He scooted an inch forward, and when Dean didn't flinch away, he came to sit on the bed beside Dean, though still careful to maintain a distance.  

  "You were having a nightmare." Castiel explained. He couldn't bring himself to tell what he saw, and besides. Even if he were to say anything, he then would have a hard time explaining  _ how _ he saw into Dean's nightmares. 

  Dean collapsed back into his bed with a huff, his jaw clenching as he stared at the ceiling.  "Right."

  "I... apologize if I had taken advantage by coming in here without your permission, but you were quite distressed, and I couldn't find it in myself to leave you be. I'll just leave now." He stood up, ready to follow on his words, when Dean suddenly grabbed on to his hand. 

  "Wait!" 

  Surprise seemed to hold him back more than anything, even as he turned to look at the omega. 

  "I... just..." he looked at their joined hands, and his eyes widened as Dean hastily let go. He looked down at the bed, pushed upright by his other arm on his side. "Stay with me?" He asked the bed. 

  Castiel felt his face softening. "Of course." He moved to seat himself on the chair by the desk, when Dean stopped him again. 

  "Where are you going?" There was a note of panic in his voice as he finally looked up at Castiel. 

  "I'm just going to sit here. I'm not going anywhere."

  Dean was already starting to shake his head. 

  "Don't be stupid. It's still the middle of the night and if you fall asleep, your neck'll have hella to pay in the morning," He swallowed, looking away uncomfortably, before scooting back on the bed. "Just get in here." He lifted back the covers, still not looking at Castiel. 

  "Are you sure?" Castiel looked at Dean in concern, not bothering to point out that neither did he sleep or gain any pains as humans tend to anyway. "I wouldn't want you uncomfortable in your own bed."

  He saw Dean rolling his eyes, but he met Castiel's gaze anyway. "It's fine, Cas. Now get in here."

  Still unsure, he stood up. He took of his trench coat and suit jacket, neatly placing it on the back of the chair before toeing off his shoes. Without further ado, he got into the bed, but stayed firmly on his side of it. 

  Dean rolled his eyes again, but he settled back on the mattress, his eyes closing. Castiel kept his eyes open, staring at Dean. 

  "Stop it." Dean muttered, without opening his eyes. Castiel frowned in confusion.  

  "Stop what?"

  "You're staring. Again."

  "Oh. I apologize." He closed his eyes stiffly, the action feeling a bit foreign. But Dean was soon asleep again, and hearing the change in his breathing, Castiel's eyes automatically opened again. 

  He was content to lay there the entire night without moving, because Dean had requested him to. But then, still sleeping, Dean frowned, and then moved forward, his head bowed as he curled up. 

  His head hit Castiel's chest, his hands clutching on to Castiel's shirt. The alpha froze. One of his hands was under his head, the other resting on his side, but now he lifted that hand, just as Dean clutched tightly on to Castiel's side and burrowed closer. 

  Startled, Castiel looked down at Dean. He could barely see the man's face, but Dean’s face was visible enough to see that he wasn't frowning anymore. He didn't have the heart to wake him up again, especially if he didn't have to. So with no other choice, he slowly let his hand rest against Dean's side. 

  Dean smiled in his sleep. 

 

oOo

 

  They stayed like that the entire night. Castiel didn't move once, not even when Dean nuzzled his shirt at one point during the night. He was actually rather disappointed when Dean woke up and froze, the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window and shining on Dean's face. He pushed himself back, his hands on Castiel's chest. Castiel removed his own hand from Dean's side, but their legs were still entwined - another one of Dean's doings in his sleep - and when Dean didn't pull back his legs, Castiel had to ignore the slight elation that surged through his chest at that. He didn't remove his hands from Castiel's chest either, and Castiel spectacularly failed at ignoring the sensation any further. 

  "Good morning." Castiel greeted with a small smile. 

  Dean blushed, looking down at Castiel's shirt. "Mornin’ Cas."

  "You stayed." He said, after a moment's pause. His voice was quiet, and yet easy for the Angel to hear. 

  "Of course." Castiel frowned. "Did you think I would leave?"

  "I didn't know what to think." His hands moved ever so slightly, a finger circling one of the buttons on Castiel's shirt. 

  Castiel tilted his head forward, trying to make Dean meet his eyes. 

  "Dean, whatever you want, whatever you ask for. I will always do it - if it's within my abilities to do so." He added, but as an angel, that would both broaden and narrow down what that list could possibly entail. 

  Dean huffed, his lips curling upwards at the edges. "Way to make a guy feel special, Cas."

  Somehow, Castiel figured that his automatic response of, “ _ You deserve everything special,”  _ wouldn’t sit well with Dean. They fell into silence again, Dean flicking at the edges of Castiel's button. 

  "So," Dean started. "Last night."

  Castiel's hand itched to reach forward. "Last night."

  "I... uh... had a nightmare." His hand was tugging at the button, and Castiel knew it was close to coming free from the shirt. Not that he cared. 

  "You did," Castiel agreed. "But you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

  Dean visibly relaxed, as if he had been expecting Castiel to demand him for some sort of answer. He stopped tugging at the button so hard, but he was still circling it's edges again with a fingertip again. 

  "Would you like to join me to eat?" Castiel asked. Dean looked up at him, visibly grateful at the change of subject. 

  "Yeah, please."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for non-con scene in the italics

Sweet Stop - Chapter 17

 

  Dean had started acting more aloof after they got out of bed. The omega had excused himself to the bathroom, and by the time he had come out, Castiel was downstairs, fixing them both a meal. It was second nature to Castiel to cook for more than one - he most certainly didn't need to eat, unless someone else was present. And besides, he appreciated eating with Dean, even if he didn’t particularly have to. In a way, it felt like the two bonded over their meals, even if they spent it without talking to each other. 

  This time, however, didn't feel like that. There was a sort of jilted silence, broken only by the sounds of their forks and knives clacking against their plates as they cut into their pancakes, Dean wincing at the high pitched noises. He wasn't meeting his eyes either, and for the first time in his life, Castiel found himself desperate to try and say something to break the silence. 

  It was after they put away their dishes to wash later that something finally came to Castiel's mind. 

  "Shall we watch... Dr. Sexy?" It took him a while to remember the name of the show, but he was still doubtful that that was the actual name. 

  Dean looked absolutely surprised. 

  "Uh... yeah. Sure, I guess."

  So they made their way to the living room, after Castiel snagged them a bowl of popcorn. He passed it to Dean, refusing it for himself, and let Dean turn on the TV, flipping through channels before they landed on a rerun of one of the Dr. Sexy episodes. Dean was immediately invested into the story, while Castiel felt himself growing more and more confused by the second. 

  "They do realize that their patient is flatlining on them, right?" Castiel asked flatly, when the two doctors - one of whom he had now come to recognize as Dr. Sexy himself - working on the patient's surgery suddenly stopped to fervently make out. The doctors had been arguing throughout the surgical procedure, and at the peak of their clash, dropped their instruments and slammed into each other. 

  "And won't this compromise the sterile state the operating room needs to be in?"

  Dean absently flapped a hand at Castiel, shushing him, his eyes glued to the TV. "It's just a show, Cas. Not supposed to be logical." 

  Castiel rolled his eyes. Yes, he was starting to see that. 

  He fell silent again, his eyebrows furrowing as a few minutes later, despite the patient's time of death having been announced, in a state of euphoric bliss, the female doctor performed defibrillation on the dead patient. And seconds later, the nurses were cheering when the patient gasped awake, the machines resuming their beeping. 

  As Dr. Sexy set himself to give a very private congratulations himself to the female doctor, a vibrating noise filled the room, and it took Castiel a few moments to realize it hadn't come from the show on screen. Judging Dean's startled look, he hadn't initially noticed it either, but he was soon shoving his hand into his pockets, withdrawing a small phone from it. 

  Dean opened the flip phone, pushing a few buttons before stilling, his eyes dark as they slid across the screen. Whatever he was reading was severely affecting the omega, because within moments, the scent of displeasure and even panic was starting to fill the air. 

  "Dean?" Castiel called out cautiously. He had a bad feeling he knew what was going on, but he didn't want to come to any conclusions without being absolutely sure. 

  But Dean didn't respond. His hand clenched the phone tightly, and Castiel could hear the phone starting to crack under the pressure. 

  "Dean?"

  The omega abruptly stood, the popcorn bowl almost upturning had Castiel not reached a hand out to it to prevent it from making a mess. 

  "Thanks, for everything, Cas, but I gotta go." He said lowly, and goddamn it, he wasn't looking at Castiel again. The alpha bit back a growl of frustration as he stood up as well. 

  "Wait. Dean, you don't have to go-"

  "Of course I have to go!" Dean burst out, his eyes wide in distress. "I always have to go!"

  "No, you don't! I understand that whoever your mate is, is probably taking control over your life but you don't have to let that happen!" Castiel tried to plead, unconsciously trying to reach out to hold on to Dean. But he dropped his hand when Dean flinched away, trying not to feel hurt. 

  "Probably?" Dean let out a cold laugh, rubbing a hand over his face as he took a few steps away. With each step further, Castiel felt his heart breaking, wishing he could have closed the distance but knowing better. "You don't know anything about my life, Cas. Don't try bothering to understand it now." 

  He turned around, walking briskly to the elevator and punched in the button for the ground floor. Castiel stood in place, taken aback. He never thought the omega would snap at him so harshly, and the inner alpha within him keened at the hurt whirling within him. Castiel rubbed at his chest. He wasn't even supposed to feel any of his alpha instincts, and yet from day one this omega was breaking each and every rule. 

  It would have been for the best if Castiel stayed away. It really would. 

  "Dean - wait!" He practically stumbled forward, reaching Dean just as the elevator doors opened. From within, Balthazar stared at them with wide eyes, bewildered. 

  "It was nice seeing you, Cas." Dean stepped into the elevator, glaring harshly at the beta until he raised his hands and stepped out, giving Dean a wide berth. 

  The elevator doors immediately started to close, but before it could completely, they met each other's gaze. 

  "I will be waiting to see you again, Dean."

  The doors slid closed. 

 

oOo

 

  Two days passed, most of which were spent in Dean's car. He could barely move, and with Alastair calling him the next night as well, he didn't bother going too far anyway. 

  But by the third day, unable to take the stress without a single reprieve any further, Dean made his way to  _ Sweet Stop _ . He made sure to bring a newspaper with him as well. Just in case. 

  The bell tinkled it's familiar tune, accompanied with the ever welcome blast of the cold A/C. His eyes looked up to see who was behind the cash register as he got in line, and could barely make out Mandy's black hair, feeling an inane sense of relief at the sight of her. Dean didn't particularly favor the omega waitress, but he couldn't bring himself to face the bakery owner just yet, especially after his last encounter with Gabe's brother. 

  "Black coffee." Dean ordered simply. He couldn't stomach the thought of anything else. She nodded, taking his money and returning his change. Because of today's crowd, he went to wait at the pickup section. He guessed Gabe was in the kitchen, because he knew that what with being the manager, Gabe was in every day (well, he was always gone in the morning hours during the few times Dean spent his time at their suite) but preferred to spend most of his time in the kitchen, especially during rush hour. 

  A lanky beta with his name tag reading Gary rapidly placed a couple of cups on the pickup counter. "One black coffee for Dean, and a chili lime soda for Casey!"

  Another beta woman clad in a dark, skin tight shirt and jeans walked past Dean, grabbing the soda and winking at Dean as she walked away, brushing against him despite there being far more space than necessary for her to touch him. Regardless, Dean twisted his head, eyeing her as she walked with a sway of her hips, before she was swallowed up in the crowd and disappeared. Turning back, Dean smirked as he noticed Gary's lingering, longing glance towards where Casey disappeared, before grabbing his coffee and carefully slipped out from the pick up area. Dean moved to stand away from the line of people waiting to either order or grab their drinks, while looking around, his eyes automatically going to the back of the cage. And sure enough, he soon spotted the familiar mop of black hair. 

  Heart thudding in his chest, his grip tightened on his cup and newspaper as Dean anxiously walked over, eyes fixed on the bowed head that didn't once look up from his book until Dean sat down across Castiel, the smell of the earth before getting struck by lightning and rainwater causing Dean to feel like he was about to munch into marshmallow that had been held above fire - toasty on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. He swallowed. 

  "Dean." Castiel looked up, initially startled, but then his eyes softened when he recognized who he was looking at, his nostrils flaring as he visibly scented the air. 

  "Hey, Cas." He uncomfortably fiddled with the corner of his newspaper, his eyes grazing over the words ' _ no assailants found... doors locked from inside... scene was covered in blood... corpse sent for autopsy _ ,' subconsciously marking it to read it properly later.  

  "How are you?"

  "About to melt into a puddle in this heat." He risked a glance at Cas, and felt somewhat reassured when all he did was crack a smile in understanding. 

  "Yes, the heat can get quite a bit intense around this time of year."

  "Did you grow up here?" Dean asked, and while it was a genuine question, he wanted to hit himself in the head. Stalling wasn't gonna do any good except build up his nerves, and Cas did seem pretty jovial enough, which would make a good start. And yet, Dean was finding himself chewing at his words. 

  Cas frowned, but he looked more thoughtful rather than annoyed. "No. I actually spent majority of my life quite far from here. I've only recently moved to Kansas." Cas looked outside the window as he replied, a finger lightly stroking the letting of his book. Game of Thrones. He was already halfway through, if the bright yellow bookmark sticking out from the middle was of any indication.

  "What made you move to practically the middle of nowhere then?" Dean couldn't help but ask. He was also debating on asking where Cas moved from, but his already vague answer, combined with his next reply, cemented Dean's suspicions that it probably wasn't best to ask. 

  "We needed a fresh start." Castiel shot him a thin smile, and Dean wisely decided to drop the subject. But the usage of the word  _ we _ didn't pass by unnoticed. 

  Inhaling deeply, and getting a lungful of mildew and ocean mist - seriously, this guy was everything air and water, with a hint of earth. And didn't that sound like he belonged in Avatar now - Dean knew it was time to just get this over with. 

  "Look, Cas," his gaze dropped back to the newspaper, eyes fixed on the headline of the article that had previously caught his eye.  _ Violent murder puts neighborhood on high alert! " _ I shouldn't have snapped at you earlier. I get that you were only trying to help, and me reacting the way I did was totally uncalled for." He twisted the side of the newspaper, and then letting it go before he ruined it further. His hand starting fidgeting with his coffee cup next. "Basically, what I'm trying to say is," Dean sighed, setting down the cup and forcing himself to look up to meet Cas firmly in the eye. "I'm sorry. You've been nothing but great to me so far, and I've been a bit shitty in return. I guess I'm a bit unused to being taken care of... but that's still no excuse. So I'm sorry. And thank you."

  He renewed his hold on his coffee cup, unwilling to show any of his nerves even as he waited with bated breath for Cas to say something. 

  Cas, whose face was absolutely soft as he tilted his head, reached a hand out. He grasped on to Dean's hand, making the omega let go of his coffee cup, and when he held Dean's hand firmly in his own, Dean gasped. But he didn't let go. His eyes were fixed on their joined hands until Cas spoke. 

  "You've got nothing to apologize for. And you haven't been 'shitty' at all, whatsoever. Any negative emotions you displayed were well called for, seeing as, at the time, I was the one to have pushed you when I probably shouldn't have. But Dean," Cas’s hold tightened, and Dean fought to quell the fireworks that erupted in his chest at that. How were his hands even so soft? "I'm still worried about you. Is there nothing I can do to gain your trust in letting me help you out of whatever situation you're in?"

  Dean immediately winced, pulling his hand back before he even knew what he was doing. He tried to ignore Cas's hurt look at that as he shoved his hands under the table, holding them together to hopefully stay resolutely in place. 

  "Yeah, about that, Cas," Dean sighed, looking out of the window. The sun was exceptionally bright today, that he could almost see those heatwaves outside, where it made it look like there were thick, blurry, lines in the air. "You're a great guy, and letting me stay at your home means everything. And if possible I'd even do almost anything in return for you guys. But just, please. Don't ask me of that." He turned his pleading look towards Cas, and felt an almost resigned sort of victory when he saw Cas visibly deflate in acceptance. 

  "Alright." He acquiesced, drawing his own hands under the table. Cas looked down at his own book, before looking back up at Dean. 

  "Would you like to come home tonight? I've gotten much further in the book and... I'd really look forward to watching another episode of that illogical show with you."

  He determinedly ignored the way Cas said  _ home _ , as if it was Dean's as much as it was Cas's. Instead, Dean let the disappointment he was feeling well within his guts show on his face as well as his scent. 

  "Sorry, Cas, but, I, uh. Got a thing I've got to do. Part of my job and all, and I'll be back, yeah, but not for another few days..." he shut his mouth, trying to stop himself from rambling as he awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck, hoping Cas wouldn't take offense. Much. 

  "Raincheck on the offer?"

  Cas frowned, tilting his head to the side. “Is your-”

  “God-No!” Dean interrupted, well aware as to what Cas was implying, and trying to shut it down before he got the wrong idea. “No, no. It’s just. Like I said. A job, is all.” He cracked a large, overconfident grin at the alpha. “Gotta keep the money coming in somehow.” He lied. “So… raincheck?”

  Castiel grinned, his face brightening right away, unaware of how it made the butterflies in Dean’s stomach flap faster and faster until there was a whirlwind in motion within him. "Of course, Dean. The offer for you will always stand."

  Dean grinned back, just as softly but more so besotted. Yeah, he was fucked. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 18

 

**_Columbia, Missouri_ **

**_Late July, 2009_ **

 

  Dean sincerely wished he could have said that Missouri was a lot cooler than Kansas. But if he did, he wouldn’t have been fooling anybody. Pulling uncomfortably at his suit's collar - which was either far too tight or way too loose depending on how he tried to adjust it - Dean ducked under the yellow crime scene tape, fake badge ready in his hand. 

  "Special agent Richard Fortus." He nodded to the alpha sheriff not far from the porch of the house of the crime scene, flashing the man his badge. The sheriff grunted. Dean was glad that he had his suppressants on. Mated or not, omegas generally got a lot of shit with all the traditional roles set for the secondary designated genders, omegas ranking second lowest to the Unpresented ones. But either way, there was no way in hell an omega would be able to get a job as a federal agent, or anyone out in the field. 

  "They sent in the Feds already?"

  Dean huffed, climbing up the short staircase. "We want this killer dead as much as you do, if not more." He answered shortly, entering the house. Turning to the first doorway on his left where he’d immediately seen movement out of the corner of his eye, Dean came to a stop. Forensics were still taking pictures and taking swabs of evidence, but it wasn't hard to find out where exactly the evidence was. As had been reported in the newspaper, the room was literally covered in a spray of blood. As if the victim's body had been torn in half and the resulting blood was now staining the walls. 

  "Autopsy report come back yet?" Dean asked the sheriff, who had come in behind him. 

  "Yeah. Body was mauled - teeth bites, scratch marks, the whole thing. Except we're having a hard time on getting a match to the bites and scratches with an actual, known, animal. There isn't any furs or anything either. Honestly, if I didn't know better though, I'd say it were a wolf. But then again, what kind of wolf gets into a locked house, without alerting security, and not break any windows or anything?"

  "Beats me." Dean muttered, bending down to take a closer look at the chalk mark lining where the victim had fallen. 

  "Was there a heart missing from the Vic, sheriff?" He asked, standing up but still looking around. A framed picture of whom he assumed to be the vic - Michelle - and another brown haired dude hugging each other stood on a dresser, partially covered in blood. 

  There was a pause. "How’d’ja know?"

  Dean let out a weak chuckle, nodding as he turned to look at the sheriff, the man looking a bit too suspicious for Dean's comfort. "Lucky guess.” He quickly moved on, not giving the sheriff a chance to ponder on it too much. “Vic have any relatives?"

  "Uh. Parents are dead," the sheriff flipped through his notepad. "Only child. A foster parent. But she's recently divorced."

  Bingo. 

  "Spouse got an address?"

 

oOo

 

  "Corbin Tilghman?"

  The bearded alpha from the picture frame back at the crime scene looked at him balefully. "The hell'r you?" He slurred. He was holding on the doorknob tightly, causing the door to waver in his grip. 

  "Richard Fortus, from the FBI." Dean showed his badge to the alpha, barely letting the man blink at it before closing it and slipping it back into his coat's inner pocket. "I'm here to talk about your ex-wife, Michelle?"

  Whatever answer Dean had been expecting, the man's eyes to suddenly start watering and his face to go pale was not one of them. 

  "I din't kill her," he gasped. "I din't kill m'Michelle." He started sobbing, his knees buckling under him. Against his better judgement, Dean forced himself to catch the men before he fell on his doorstep. His nose wrinkled at the smell of stale beer masking anything else as it hit him full on in the face. 

  "Yeah, alright. Let's get you inside."

  The state of the half sobbing, drunk man was as good as a hint as any other as to how the single level house would look inside. Despite the fresh paint, it was pretty neglected, dust collecting in pretty much every corner. The only room in the house to have seen any activity recently was the kitchen, and that was only because it was covered in beer bottles. 

  "I din' kill m'wife," Corbin mumbled, weakly grasping on to Dean. Dean rolled his eyes as he let go of the man, making him fall on top of the living room's sofa. 

  "Yeah, uh-huh, ok, bud. You didn't kill your wife, but - hey, Corbin!" Dean lightly slapped at the man's face, trying to get his attention. "You know anyone who'd have wanted to do this to her?"

  "I-wha-?" The man's head killed around, his eyes unfocused. "No-no'ne'd wanna kill m'Michelle. Sweetes' thang'n the world." He let his head fall towards the sofa, his words starting to become muffled. 

  "The sweetes'," he repeated, before falling silent. 

  Dean raised his eyebrows, tilting forward from his crouched position on the floor by the sofa. 

  "Corbin?"

  The alpha snored, and Dean had to refrain himself from facepalming himself. 

  "Right," He sighed, standing up. "Right." Just as he stood, he caught a glimpse of a fading mating bark on Corbin's neck, and Dean immediately felt himself softening. No wonder the alpha was so broken up. A divorce was one thing, but a death so soon afterwards... 

  Yeah, he suddenly didn't envy the alpha's state. 

 

oOo

 

  Dean returned to his motel for the night, making a pit stop at local diner before he hunkered up at his motel room's table, a burger set neatly beside a battered laptop. He surfed around for a bit, trying to glean more information on Michelle and her family. Not finding much of anything, he finished off his burger and a bottle of beer before retiring to bed well past midnight. 

 

oOo

 

_ "We're going to try something new today, darling." A finger grazed a sliver of skin peeking through his ropes. Dean quivered at the touch.  _

_ "How long do you think you can keep these vibrators in you like a good omega bitch, hm?" _

_ The vibrator in him hummed mercilessly against his prostate. The sensation of another vibrator pushing past his rim made Dean groan out, his cry muffled by the rope in his mouth.  _

_ "Now, now. Just take it in." And then it was shoved in harshly. Dean arched, screaming for all he was worth. He didn't stop as the vibrators were both turned on its highest setting. It was well within the night before Dean wasn't even able to scream anymore, his voice tapering off to broken gasps. But the relentless assault against his prostate and pretty much everywhere else within him never stopped. Not for the next few hours, even after Dean lost control of his muscles and senses.  _

 

oOo

 

  Dean woke up with a gasp, tears streaming down his face. Judging by the banging on the wall and his hoarse throat, he guessed he had been screaming for quite a while. 

  He turned towards the gaudy cat clock on the wall, its eyes sliding from side to side as it's tail worked as a pendulum, swinging to the left when the eyes slid to the right, and vice versa. The clock was centered at its belly, and while it did serve its purpose, Dean could have done without the whole cat thing. Including the cat wallpapers. And the cat figurines decorating practically every surface in the motel room. 

  4:37 AM. He wiped a tired hand over his face. He probably got a solid three hours, maybe even closing in on four if he stretched it. And he guessed he wasn't going to get any more sleep anyway. So with weary limbs, he pushed himself out of bed, making his way to the bathroom. 

  A shower helped him keep his eyes open for more than five seconds. A trip to the coffee machine in the motel's lobby fixed that to a good few minutes. So he retreated to his room again, booting up his laptop. Picking up from where he left off from the previous night, he worked at each and every possible lead. 

  He found a death certificate for Michelle's parents, and after finding out that she lived with a single foster parent until she turned eighteen, he got the woman's address before moving on. This time, Dean stopped to eat breakfast at the diner, making small talk with the perky omega serving him to pass off the time. When the hands on his watch finally moved to nine, he stood up, tipping the waitress quite decently before leaving, tossing her a wink on his way out. 

  The drive to the foster parent's house didn't take too long. Thankfully, unlike Corbin's house, this house was definitely well maintained. There was a large garden taking up the entirety of the front yard, and it was teeming with life, butterflies flitting about and bees buzzing at the roses, despite the cold, weather season. Dean passed by them wistfully, inhaling the scent that reminded him so much of Cas's garden. 

  The main door was open, only the screen door closed, and he called through it, not wanting to trespass. 

  "Dr. Kessler?" Dean called out, knocking on the doorframe, waiting. A beta soon came into view, regarding him carefully as she came closer to the screen door, but she didn't open it. 

  He showed her his badge, flashing her a winning smile. "Richard Fortus, from the FBI. I'd like to talk to you about Michelle's death?"

  The woman's face dropped, stepping back to open the door. 

  "Yes, yes. Come on in." 

  She led him to her living room, inviting him to sit before walking into the connecting kitchen. "Can I get you anything - water, tea, coffee?" She called out. 

  "Coffee would be great, thank you." Dean replied. He waited until the coffee was in his hands, Dr. Kessler sitting across from him with a cup of her own tea, before he began to dive right into his questioning. 

  "Doctor, what can you tell me about your foster daughter?"

  The blonde sighed, taking a delicate sip of her tea, before wrinkling her nose and setting it down. "Should have gotten a whisky for this." She muttered. Dean couldn't help the raised eyebrow at that. She noticed it, and snorted, but didn't address it or get up. She just leaned back on the light blue sofa, taking a deep breath. 

  "Michelle was a wonderful girl. So sweet, rather quiet, even for an omega. She hadn't stayed at the foster home for long, I chose her as soon as I saw her, sweet thing she was. So polite and kind, if a bit withdrawn over her parents’ death, of course. 

  "She was about... 11? When she came to live with me. Very diligent in her studies, always caring of the people around her, helped me out in the house a lot. You saw the garden up front, didn't you?" Dr. Kessler asked. Dean nodded, his hand resting above his notepad, readily taking notes. His coffee was long gone, the cup empty and forgotten on the small table between them. 

  "That was all her doing. Even after she moved out she always came by on the weekend to check in on her flowers. Didn't have the heart to let go of them, even after she started her own garden at her place."

  Dean could vaguely remember seeing a smaller garden at the porch of Michelle's house, and nodded again, silently. 

  "Yes, she even volunteered at the soup kitchen on the weekends. Still does - did," Dr. Kessler blinked, looking away for a moment. Dean followed her line of sight, until it fell on a framed picture standing at the side table. It was a picture of the doctor hugging Michelle from behind, the blonde girl looking a lot younger than in the picture at her house. "Well. And then she went and fell for that Tilghman boy.” The distaste was clear on the doctor's face when she started to speak about Corbin. "Mind you, he was always quite fond of Michelle, but he wasn't the best of people. Michelle refused to see that, of course, stating that he was always good when it mattered," she scoffed. "And that was only because the boy was so careful to be nice to her. They both were hard workers, him some sort of personal assistant or whatnot to a business nut. My Michelle though, she worked at the adoption agency, spending each of her hour there with the kids or making sure they had a good future. She was their favorite." The beta looked back down, taking the teacup back in her hands, but she didn't drink it. 

  "And then her parents' will came in. They left her their house, and my god, was the girl reluctant to leave. But she so clearly wanted to... be with her parents' memory, you know?" Dr. Kessler stared right at Dean. He swallowed, unsure if he was actually supposed to reply - and not knowing what to say if he was - but thankfully, she went on, unperturbed by Dean’s lack of input. "And besides. Michelle was of age, could have left anyway. Had to fight with her a bit, telling her I’d be fine and all. She didn’t want to leave me, but she finally went." And now a tear fell from Dr. Kessler's eye, though she didn't acknowledge it. 

  "I shouldn't have made her go. Corbin and her married soon after, and he moved in with her. He seemed so understanding, not pressing her to leave her parent's house. At the time, we all thought it was a good thing, when they divorced. Michelle didn't have to do anything on that part." She stated roughly, her jaw clenching again. 

  Dean cut in, after having stayed silent this entire time. 

  "Dr. Kessler, why exactly did... why did they get divorced?" He asked.

  She looked at him with disdain, but he had a feeling it was more towards Corbin than it was actually being directed at him. 

  "The guy was a drunken liar, that's what. Kept coming home wasted, and always lying about how others were no good, and that everything he did was for Michelle... I had to go there and put her straight myself. My poor Michelle, she was so... heads over heels for him, that she absolutely refused to see what the man actually was like. But then they divorced, made an appointment to nullify their mating bond, and he moved out. And we thought everything was going so well." Tears started streaming down her face, and Dr. Kessler dropped her head, setting her tea cup with a clatter on the table to cover her face with her hands. Muffled sobs made their way from the beta woman, and feeling awkward, Dean reached for a napkin from the box on the table. 

  "Uh, here." She took the napkin with a brief grateful glance, before looking down again, roughly blowing her nose. She dabbed at her eyes, and then within moments, she was looking back up at Dean, a lot more composed than a few seconds ago. 

  "Is there anything else, agent?"

  Sensing that he was about to be dismissed, Dean cleared his throat, straightening his back, as he checked at his notes. "Yeah, just one more thing and then I’ll be out of your hair. Could I get the addresses of the soup kitchen and adoption agency Michelle worked at?"

 

oOo

 

  The soup kitchen was closer, so Dean headed there first. It ended up being a bust... but enlightening. Dean made a mental note to check if there were any nearby in Topeka, before he headed to a bar. He had a filling lunch at the soup kitchen, and in retribution he had given a hefty donation. The people there seemed glad, commenting about how much higher the water and AC bill got in the summer. And while it wasn't particularly noteworthy if they asked Dean, his donation was apparently pretty impressive enough. And besides, they needed it more than the people he hustled it off of. 

  But now Dean was a few hundred bucks short, which was what he had been depending on for his time here. So he entered the bar after ditching his fed suit at the motel room, not bothering to get dinner with how full he was. Going straight for the beer, he drank for a bit until he felt a lot more loosened up, before making his way to the pool table. 

  He regained half of the money he spent before finally calling it a night, feeling lax. But when he crept into bed that night, the tension returned, and he drifted off to sleep with a tight grip on the knife under his pillow. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 19

 

  The next morning, Dean refused to get out of bed until eight this time. Though he had been awake for several hours prior, he was too tired to get his body to climb out of bed. Nightmares of broken mating marks only resulting in a mental asylum - or worse - for Dean had him twisting and turning in bed. And even awake, the unease from his dreams refused to fade away. It was only because his stomach started to protest that Dean eventually moved. 

  Dean took a longer shower this morning, letting the uneven water pressure beat down on his back for a good few minutes before soaping himself. He barely made it out before the water started to get cold, and dressed up in his fed suit again, slathering up his suppressants as much as he could for the day. Stopping again at the same diner, breakfast consisted of pancakes this time. Not having enough caffeine in his system, his flirting with the same omega was rather subdued, who noticed after a while and started shooting Dean concerned looks. Finishing his meal quickly, he tipped her just as well as yesterday before he left, this time driving towards the adoption agency. 

  It was a bit further into the city, and for a moment Dean was pretty sure he was lost, before he finally turned on to the agency's driveway, the building appearing practically out of nowhere. With a small grunt of victory, he pulled into an empty parking spot, regarding the building with an observant eye. It was well maintained, looking rather new and neat. He opened the front door, stepping into a hallway. He could vaguely hear the sound of children playfully screaming - or maybe not playfully, who knew? Adoption agencies, orphanages, foster systems, they were all torture - before a woman stepped into view, not noticing Dean as she came out from one of the doorways on the side. 

  "Excuse me?" He called out. The woman visibly jolted, shock radiating from her as she turned to look at Dean. 

  "Oh!" She exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest before laughing a bit sheepishly. "You startled me."

  "Ah, sorry about that," he dialed up his charm, trying to appear as non threatening and open as possible. "Didn't mean to surprise you."

  The alpha visibly eyed him up and down. "Oh darling, you can surprise me anytime you want."

  Dean stiffened, his smile becoming forced as he tried to keep his breathing steady. Thank god for his suppressants, which should hopefully mask most of his reaction to that fucking petname. 

  "Right, well, unfortunately I've actually come here on business." He shot the blonde an apologetic smile as he drew out his badge. She cast it a curious glance, looking more serious now. 

  "Is there a problem, agent..."

  "Fortus," he supplied, taking a few steps closer. "I'm actually here to investigate the death of Michelle... Tilghman?" As far as he knew, the girl for reasons unknown still hadn't gotten to changing her last name back to her maiden name officially. Though there was the fact that the girl was killed before she could probably do something about it for real. 

  The alpha straightened, looking appropriately somber. 

  "Ah, yes. Shall we take this somewhere private?" At Dean's agreement, the alpha took him through another doorway, leading him to a staircase. She neatly sidestepped a couple of loud children running past them, the woman tossing out a quick warning to the kids. He got an eyeful of her ass as she made her way up the stairs first, taking his eyes off only for a moment to make sure he didn’t bump into the children, before they landed right back to the object in Dean’s vision directly at eye-level. Not that Dean was complaining. 

  "My name is Rose," The woman introduced herself simply. "I'm actually the head of this agency." They came to a stop at a closed door down the hallway from the staircase, the alpha unlocking it with a key from a set hanging from her belt before pushing it open. Walking in, she gestured for Dean to sit on the chair across a desk, seating herself behind it. Trying not to feel like he had just been sent to the principal's office, Dean cleared his throat, taking out his pen and notepad.  

  "Michelle was in charge of taking care of the children's records - from the papers regarding how they got here, to ensuring that whatever home they want to was deemed a fitting environment for the child." Rose explained. She leaned forward to pour a drink from a bottle of what must have been champagne into a frosted glass, offering it to Dean. As much as he wanted to, he declined, knowing it'd probably seem out of character for his disguise. 

  Rose shrugged, drinking it herself instead. "The kids loved her," she stated, cradling the glass in her palm. "When she wasn't busy with paperwork - which was actually pretty much all the time. Girl was pretty adamant on making sure everything was alright for the kids - she'd spend her time with them. The young ones loved her, and the older ones," she shrugged, looking thoughtful as she took another sip. "I don't know. They must have felt like they could confide in her or something, but they were all attracted to her like a drunkard to alcohol." She slammed the glass on the table, closing her eyes and sighing, shaking her head. 

  "Honestly, agent, I don't know who could have had the heart to do this. The girl was an absolute delight to be around, even for a cold hearted bitch like me." Rose gave Dean a dry grin. He gave her a small smile back, though his mind was too busy processing her words to respond with a retort to that. 

  "Is there anyone you could think of that, I don't know, resented her at all?" Dean asked. "I heard she was divorced, maybe someone from the spouse's side?" He speculated. 

  Rose looked at him as if she was crazy. 

  "You mean that boy, Corbin? Nah," she shook her head. "I doubt it's anyone from  _ his _ side; if it weren't for Michelle, the guy'd be a loner. So she said." Rose shrugged, her gaze going distant. "But I don't know, while she talked about him as he hung the moon and stars... the guy was an absolute grade-A creep. Saw him hangin' around the vicinity, always staring right at Michelle whenever she was supervising a kid at the park out back. But she never seemed to notice him."

  Dean sat upright, his attention peeking at her words.  

  "Corbin? Brown haired, bearded dude? Or maybe, fresh shaven, if this was when they were still married?" He asked, to elaborate, remembering a picture of the Tilghmans at Michelle's house. The guy definitely didn't have a beard then. But Rose shook her head, looking confused. 

  "No..." she said slowly. "Dunno about the beard, but he definitely was bald." She stated. 

  Dean nodded slowly, but his mind was working fast. "Rose, do you have any video surveillance I could look at? See if I can catch a glimpse of this man?"

  She nodded, already turning to power up her computer at the side of her large wooden desk, though she was frowning at Dean in confusion. "Yeah. But I mean, outside in the back, where the park is, we've only got coverage of our area, not even much of the streets. And this guy was always across the road." She mentioned, even as she opened up the footage on her computer. Waving for Dean to come forward, he stood up, coming to stand behind the alpha, and tried to avoid moving in the opposite direction of the alpha's scent. She smelled like whisky and mothballs, and it was definitely unpleasant. 

  They watched through the footage together, Rose forwarding to one of the days and time she was sure she had seen the man. She forwarded a bit slower during that hour, and when it finished, she shrugged hopelessly at Dean. 

  "See?"

  Dean didn't take his eyes off the computer screen. "Mind if I take a look?"  

  Rose shrugged, standing up. "Go ahead and suit yourself. But I'm not sure you'll find anything, agent." She moved away, letting Dean sit in her chair as he started the video from the beginning and pausing. He started to painstakingly click through each frame.   

  "Call me if you need anything, I gotta go make sure the kids didn't set the building on fire or anything." She grinned as she closed the for behind her. But Dean barely glanced at her, automatically smiling back even though his eyes were as good as glued to the screen. 

 

oOo

 

  Half an hour later, Dean wasn't feeling as optimistic as when he started, and just as he was about to give his hand a brief break from the position that was starting to make his hand cramp, a figure flickered at the side of the screen. 

  Abruptly sitting upright, Dean leaned in closer towards the screen. He went back a few frames before starting it over again, slowly clicking through before he finally got a good view. 

  "Gotcha." Dean whispered, as a hunky, balding man with a beard pressed himself against the fence surrounding the park before disappearing in the next frame. Zooming in, Dean quickly printed the frame out, eagerly waiting for the machine to finish its job before grabbing it, barely remembering to power the computer back off before exiting the office, shutting the door behind him firmly. With brisk steps, he went down the stairway, waiting in the front hallway and shuffling around as he waited for Rose to make an appearance. 

  Thankfully, she didn't take long, and the moment Dean had her confirmation that he printed out the picture of the right guy, he was exiting the building, on the road within minutes. 

 

oOo

 

  "Agent Fortus," Dr. Kessler greeted politely, as she opened up the screen door. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She stood off to the side, letting Dean enter her house, but he didn't go further than a few steps once within her house. 

  "Hey doc.” He greeted back, pulling the paper back out from within his coat's pocket. "I was hoping you could tell me if you recognized this man?"

  He showed her the picture, letting her take it from his hand. She squinted at it for a few moments before looking back up, a frown on her face. 

  "Uh, yeah... that's Corbin's brother. I don't remember his name, but he was there at Michelle's wedding. Stuck out like a sore thumb, what with looking like he was chewing on a lemon the entire time." Dr. Kessler scrunched her nose up at the memory. "Corbin didn't have any other immediate family attend, only his brother. The rest of the people from his side were just a bunch of friends, distant relatives, coworkers, and the like.” Dr. Kessler said. But then her frown grew. "Weirdest thing though, I swear, like I've recently seen him somewhere, though I can’t seem to remember where..." She trailed off, continuing to scrutinize the picture. Dean, feeling as if the puzzle pieces were finally starting to fall in place, nodded.  

  "Thank you for your time, Dr. Kessler." He made his way to the exit the house, but at the beta's call, he stopped. 

  "Wait." She thrusted the picture back at him, but she was suddenly looking a lot more tentative, even as she gripped Dean's arm tightly. Her scent though, was still of fear. "Do-do you think that... that he's responsible for Michelle's..."

  Dean paused. "I don't know anything for certain yet," he responded softly. "But I'll let you know as soon as I do." 

  She nodded, biting her lip as she finally let go, taking a step back. Swallowing, he nodded back, swiftly coming to a decision. 

  "This is my card.” Dean said, taking a fake federal card with his cell number on it. He handed it to her. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to give me a call." He let her take it after a moment’s hesitation before finally turning and leaving the house. 

  It was getting late, but he had one more stop to make. And with the case looking like it was close to an end, he was gonna make sure to get it done as soon as possible. 

  And if blue eyes filled his mind as he drove, then that was no one's knowledge or business but his own. 

 

oOo

 

  "Corbin, open up!" Dean knocked on the door with an open palm, the sound resonating well within the house. "It's Agent Fortus!" The last vestiges of the full moon was shining weakly on him, and he growled. Alphas and omegas were mildly feral themselves during this time of the month - though that usually converted into sexual energy. But for werewolves, the full moon only prolonged their turning period, and despite the moon already starting to wane, it still affected the creatures until it was well within it's next stage. Same with when the moon was waxing it's way towards the full moon - all for making a wonderful week of cases of missing hearts. 

  Compared to a broken heart though, Dean would rather take a missing one. As morbid as it was. 

  When the alpha failed to open the door, Dean growled, finally taking out his lock picking set. Within a minute, he was inside, his eyes adjusted enough to the dark - due to the amount of time Dean spent outside - for him to make his way directly to the kitchen. Sure enough, the man was slumped over a table, his hand loosely holding on to a beer bottle. 

  "Hey, hey, Corbin - wake up!" He tried to shove the man awake, growling with irritation when the alpha weakly tried to slap him away. Pushing him upright, Dean held him there, forcing himself to stay in the position until the alpha managed to pry his eyes open enough to look at Dean. "There we go - hey! Corbin, I need you to tell me about your brother.” Dean readjusted his grip when the man started to slip. Holding back a few choice words, he crouched back down again, looking right at Corbin. "Corbin - your brother! Tell. Me. Where he is." His tone brooked no space for argument, and it worked, because it finally pierced through Corbin’s drunken haze as the alpha blinked.

  "Bro-brother?" Corbin let out a weak laugh, forcing Dean to hold on to the man's arms tighter. "He hates me, always did. Dunno why, but he hates me." Corbin's eyes slid closed, his head tilting forward. "Michelle loved me though," he mumbled. "Loved me no matter wha'." And he was snoring again. 

  With a frustrated grunt, Dean let the alpha fall back on the table, wiping his hands off distastefully. Looking around, an idea struck him, and despite being sickened at having to go closer to the alpha again, he forced himself onwards, digging through Corbin's pockets until his hand finally emerged with Corbin's phone. 

  Stepping back, Dean scrolled through the contacts, before coming to a number listed simply as  _ 'bro' _ . Thankful that the man didn't bother putting it under a name, Dean hit dial, holding the phone up to his ear and waiting. When it hit voicemail, he groaned in frustration. Tonight was the last night of the full moon, Dean painfully conscious of a mental clock ticking in the background, and god only knew if the werewolf had any more victims planned, whether for some sort of revenge or just plain hunger. 

  Copying the number onto his own phone, Dean sped back to his motel, barely avoiding getting pulled over. He rushed into his motel room, quickly powering up his laptop, and maneuvered through some websites before putting in the number. Sitting down, he waited for his slow laptop to process his commands, ever aware of the cat-clock ticking well past midnight. 

  It was more closer to half past one when his laptop finally dinged with a result. Copying down the address, Dean was soon back on the road again. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 20

 

  Corbin's brother's home was a dingy apartment in the city. Making sure his gun was tucked firmly within the back of his waistband, Dean exited his car, making sure the doors were locked before entering the building. Climbing up the staircase, he glanced around the hallway before moving to the side of the door, well out of view from the door's peephole. Dean took out his gun, clicking the safety off and holding it behind him as he knocked on the door.  

  When he was only met with solid silence, Dean carefully looked around him again. Ensuring and establishing once again, that he was alone in the hallway, Dean crouched to eye level with the door knob, taking out his lock picking set. Unlocking it in seconds, Dean opened the door - and then it stuck, refusing to budge. A quick glance showed that the door chain was still in place, and instantly, his guard was on high alert. Taking his lock pick set in hand again, he shifted through the tools, before settling on a standard flat edged one. Reaching through the gap in the door, he twisted his hand, groping around until it came into contact with the door chain's holder on the wall. Passing the tool with his other hand through the gap, he started to work at the small screws, his face twisting as he tried to hasten his actions. 

  Finally, one screw after the other having lightly fallen to the ground, the holder came free, and he pushed the door open completely. Dean guessed that the house was empty, seeing as the entire time he had been working at the door no one came - plus, he couldn't smell anyone, but just in case, he held his gun readily in front of him. The place may have smelled empty, but with another sniff, he knew he was at the right place. It smelled too much like dog to be an actual human... but also not right to be an actual dog. 

  Making a three-sixty on the room, his gaze fell on the door chain, his eyes narrowing at the sight. Looking through the windows around the house, he immediately found what he was looking for - the window by the living room was open, the night's soft breeze making the curtains fly onwards, leading to a fire escape that led to the ground. Not too far away, Dean could see his own Impala parked in the lot. A moment passed, and Dean suddenly had to refrain from hitting himself in the head. 

  "Seriously, Dean?" 

  He sighed, shaking his head at himself. Ah well, what's done was done, and hopefully, he'd have ganked the werewolf before it hulked out on him for vandalizing it's front door. 

  Well. More hulked out than it already was. 

  Turning back to the apartment, he went back to the entry way, starting to look around more carefully. For a werewolf's apartment, it looked pretty clean. Though he couldn't really say anything, because most of the werewolf's hideouts tended to be. What was he expecting anyway? A rocky cave? Something else from a TV show that, as always, explained the Supernatural with several highly unsound mistakes? 

  Passing through the living room, he looked around the kitchen. Slightly curious, he opened the fridge door. He raised his eyebrows. Damn thing was filled to the brim with vegetables, it'd have given even Sam a run for his money. 

  Dean froze. He very carefully closed the fridge's door, before placing his head on the cool metal, taking deep breaths to calm himself. 

  In. Out. 

  In. Out. 

  In. Ou-what the fuck was that smell?

  He lifted his head, his forehead abnormally cold as compared to the rest of his body. With trepidation, Dean opened the freezer. A couple of Häagen-Dazs, and there - behind the ice cream, a plastic white box. Moving away the containers of the frozen delights, he pulled out the box, his face scrunching up when the smell intensified. He opened the lid -

  And gagged, pulling his face away with a quiet groan even as he stared at the box. It was a human heart; Michelle's most likely. And... uneaten. 

  "That's not right."

  Dean placed the box back in the freezer, making sure to shut the door firmly. It restricted most of the smell from spreading through the house, and as much as he had no love for the werewolf who killed an innocent girl, Dean'd rather not deal with the smell when he was the one who had to investigate the guy's home. 

  Exiting the kitchen, and the living room connected to it, he crossed the hallway into the only other room, flipping on the light by the door. A door - presumably to the bathroom, on his right, an unmade bed with deep scratches in the center, and to his left -

  Heart quickening, he stepped towards the wall on his left. It was covered in pictures of Michelle - the girl smiling on her wedding day; bent down and talking to a child at the park behind the adoption agency; serving soup at the kitchen; sitting at her house's porch with the sun streaming down on her face; and even tending to her garden, laughing jovially with Dr. Kessler as she watered her plants. 

  No wonder the doctor said she thought she saw this creep recently... she must have seen him whenever he was stalking around to take this picture.

  Dean was leaning in to take a closer look at the surrounding photos when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He jumped, startled at the sudden sound, and hastily reached into his pocket to silence it. 

  Dr. Kessler. What was she calling at - Dean glanced at the time displayed in the corner of the ring screen - 3 in the morning?

  Dread crawling up his spine, he pressed the green button to accept the call. 

  "He-"

  " _ Agent Fortus - oh my god, agent, there is a man in my house - there is a man in my house and he's - oh my god he's, I don't even know he smells so wrong and he looks wrong and-" _

  "Doc-hey, doc!" Dean cut in. "Calm down, take a deep breath.” Dean instructed. He heard the woman take a few, unsteady breaths over the line. "That's it." 

  " _ Agent _ ." Her voice was so much more high pitched, to the point that it was almost a squeak. But it was still quiet, and he could practically hear her distress over the phone. At that, he was spurred into action, and he tucked the gun into the back of his waistband, jogging back outside of the room and leaving the apartment, not bothering to shut the damaged door behind him. 

  "Ok, doc, I need you to tell me where you are." He rushed down the stairs, phone glued to his ear. 

  " _ I'm-I'm in my bathroom, the-the one in my bedroom. He's still outside and oh god, he's- he's hitting the door and I-I don't know how long it'll hold and-god damn it, I should have taken the window out, there's a tree and, should I go? _ " She suddenly questioned. Dean cursed as he had to swap hands at that moment, so that he could get the key into his car. " _ Should I- oh my god- should I go out the window? _ "

  Dean slammed his car door shut, phone pressed against his shoulder as he simultaneously started up his car. 

  "The window outside your bedroom door? And he's outside your bedroom?" Dean elaborated. At her whimper - which he took for an agreement, he plowed on, even as he was already shaking his head. "What floor's your bedroom on, doc?" With a growl, he refrained himself from yelling at the slow driver in front of him - who was now behind him. Asshole. The speed limit was 30 and the guy was traveling probably at - well. The speed limit. Dean was pushing it near 70, driving recklessly and overtaking car after car as he screeched through the main roads. Seriously, what were these people doing out in the middle of the night anyway?

  " _ S-second _ ."

  "No." Dean immediately replied. If she jumped out, she’d only be too winded, if not worse, and out in the open. "You're gonna do my a favor and stay right where you are. If your bathroom's got a closet, hide in it... you don't happen to own anything silver in the bathroom, do you?" Dean took a sharp right, turning into a quieter road. Looks like the local police department's gonna have a blast with the amount of people who'd call tonight to no doubt report the sounds of tires screeching and engines roaring in a suburban neighborhood early in the morning. 

  " _ Silver? I-I've got my ring- _ "

  "Yeah, that's not gonna do unless you punch him in the face, and let's have that as an extremely last resort case, yeah?"

  He turned into the doctor's neighborhood, letting out a sigh of relief. 

  "Alright, doctor, I'm gonna cut the call now-" he went on, speaking over her distressed whimper. "-I'm right outside your house and I'm gonna need both of my hands - you stay in there until I come and get you myself, you hear me?" Not bothering to wait for a reply, Dean cut the call, out of his car within seconds. He was crossing the road when he suddenly saw a figure leaping from the second floor's window from the doctor's house, and he instantly raised his gun. 

  Dean fired a shot, but judging the way the werewolf rolled into a ball upon hitting the floor, and then unfurling himself and starting to make a run for it, he missed. He started to run after him, gun raised as he shot a couple more times, but at the end of the neighborhood, the wolf turned and disappeared. Dean slowed down to a jog, letting his gun fall back to his side. With a whispered curse, he turned back and headed to the house, racing up the stairs and following the path of distraction to a battered looking door. Twisting the knob and finding it locked, he put away his gun as he called. 

  "Dr. Kessler? It's me!" He waited for a few minutes, the distant sound of a door slowly opening before Dean heard the doctor reply from within the bedroom. 

  "Agent Fortus?"

  He let out a sigh of relief, almost slouching against the door. 

  "Yeah, doc."

  The lock clicked open, the beta fell against him. 

  Dean caught onto her, holding her firmly as she sobbed against his chest. He patted at her back, scrutinizing the door. It had a pretty impressive dent in its center, scratched littering the entire thing, and it was close to coming clean off the hinges. 

  "Doctor, you have anywhere you can go?"

 

oOo

 

  The beta was packed within an hour, a rushed phone call to a friend two states away with a seriously edited version of what had been happening. The friend was happy to let Dr. Kessler stay with him, and had Dean been in the mood or proper situation, he'd have joked about exactly how  _ happy _ the man must have been. As it was, he just sat in grim silence, watching with wary eyes as Dr. Kessler waited for her bus. 

  "You're telling me it's Corbin's brother?" She asked. She was sitting beside him in the front seat of the Impala, pale and hugging her bag to her chest. But her face was stoic when she turned to look at him. 

  "Yep."

  "But why? What did he have against Michelle? Or me, for that matter?" She exclaimed. 

  Dean shrugged, looking around one more time before he turned towards Dr. Kessler. "Honestly, I'm still not clear on the details myself. He hates his brother, so he probably... struck out on Michelle for that. But you... I have no idea." He shook his head, trying to make his mind work. 

  The doctor stayed quiet next to him, not saying anything else. 

  Her bus arrived as scheduled at 5:05, and the two made their way out of the car. The sun was already rising, and its rays were the only source of heat at this time of morning. The contrast felt nice though - for sure, better than the heat that was soon to come, anyway.  

  "Agent Fortus, I've got to thank you. For everything." Dr. Kessler said. Dean looked away uncomfortably. "I honestly don't think the police could have found out who the killer was as fast as you did, and for that, I'm highly grateful." Dr. Kessler stressed, her voice genuine. She readjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, looking distractedly towards the bus. "I just wish I could have been here to see that man put to justice myself." Her voice sounded bitter, and it prompted Dean to look back at her. 

  "Don't worry, Doctor. He's gonna get what he has coming for him."

  She looked at him curiously, but before she could question him further, the bus driver let out a warning honk. With a last look at Dean, and a parting nod which he returned, she boarded the bus, a few other passengers rushing in as well. 

  The bus had barely started to move before Dean turned and started to make his way to his car, thoughts already starting to race. Something wasn't right, and it had been tickling at the back of his mind ever since Dr. Kessler called him. Now that the hubbub was over for the most part, he let his thoughts consume him, switching to automatic as he turned on his car. The familiar roar of his engine underneath him lulled his senses, and Dean closed his eyes, letting the images of his encounter with the werewolf wash over him. 

  The werewolf was at Dr. Kessler's house. The fact that he didn't know why he was there bugged Dean, but he remembered standing in the apartment, looking at the images of Michelle...

_ "Michelle was a wonderful girl. So sweet, rather quiet... I chose her as soon as I saw her, sweet thing she was. So polite and kind..."  _

  A picture of Michelle laughing with Dr. Kessler. 

_ "He hates me, always did. Dunno why, but he hates me."  _

  A picture of Michelle and Corbin's wedding. 

_ "...But he was there at Michelle's wedding. Stuck out like a sore thumb, what with looking like he was chewing on a lemon the entire time. _

_ "He hates his brother, so he probably... struck out on Michelle for that." _

  A picture of Michelle at the soup kitchen. 

_ "...The guy was an absolute grade-A creep." _

  A picture of Michelle at the agency's park. 

_ "The girl was an absolute delight to be around, even for a cold hearted bitch like me." _

  Shit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late night update - and so for those of you who are in different time zones, means that they're most likely seeing this on a Wednesday instead :/  
> How is it that the gen version's torture scene is more painful... which reminds me. Im rewriting this fic to post separately on a different account but as a gen version - meaning no sex, no destiel ships (no ships at all actually.. except for like.. the later stuff but details will be posted later.. or not to maintain suspense for that fic) no slurs and basically, would be kid appropriate if it weren't for the torture.. will only be posting that after im done editing this fic, and im editing each chapter every week (sorry for mistakes that still get by me!) so more news on that one after this one here is finished.. or comment if you want details (that i can give now) i guess...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for implied suicide attempts and drug usage and other wounds and stuff...

Sweet Stop - Chapter 21 

  Baby's tires screeched as Dean drove at top speed out of the bus station, overtaking Dr. Kessler's bus in the process. He floored the pedal throughout practically the entire drive, and within half the time compared to his previous drive to this place, Dean was at the adoption agency. He barely remembered to turn off the engine as he rushed out of the car, taking the steps three at a time and slamming the door open. It was unlocked, and for an adoption agency at around 5:30 in the morning, that was definitely unusual. 

  Stepping cautiously forward, Dean took out his gun, cocking it. In the early morning silence, it echoed loudly within the hall. 

  Dean stepped further into the hallway, taking a deep breath. His eyes widened when the scent processed within his mind. The smell of werewolf was heavy in the air which could only mean one thing.

  Corbin's brother was in the building.  

  The sound of a thud came from above Dean, to his right. Eyes narrowing, he walked through the doorway, stepping carefully on the staircase and taking it one step at a time. Once he reached the top, the sight of Rose's office door slightly open down the hall immediately caught his eye. His eyes took in his surroundings as he made his way to the room, gun upright in front of him, which he used to push the door open slightly wider. 

  Rose's body was sprawled on the floor, unmoving. Her face was to the side, covered by her blonde hair. As far as he could see there wasn't any blood...

  Dean let himself further into the room. An inhale, the sharp tang of dog, a noise behind him -

  His arm was sprung behind him even before his body completely turned, fingers pulling the trigger. The sound of a gunshot exploded within the building, and the next second, the werewolf was lying in a heap on the floor. 

  He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart rate. And that's when Dean noticed that while the werewolf in front of him was already starting to emanate a sickly sour smell of death, there was a smell of warm, fresh werewolf, still heavy in the air. 

  Dean turned around, just in time to see Rose collapsing against her desk, her face pale as she stared at Corbin's brother in shock. 

  "You killed him." 

  Dean bit his tongue just in time to prevent himself from biting out a ' _ no shit, Sherlock _ '. 

  And then she was jumping at him. 

  "You killed my boyfriend, you bastard!" Rose screeched, practically launching at Dean with a snarl. He raised his arms to shield himself from her attack, on the defense as he ducked and dodged while she tried to scratch his guts and eyeballs out. Damn it - because the room was windowless, the woman was gonna stay in werewolf mode unless and until she went out outside. But Dean'd be damned if he even let her get that far. 

  "Your boyfriend?" He couldn't help but bite out, even as he jumped backwards to avoid getting kicked in his crotch. "I'm sorry, I was under the impression that he only had eyes for Michelle." He aimed a punch at her jaw, making her head rear back. Before Rose could regain her balance, Dean pulled her head down to meet his knee. She was momentarily disoriented, so that when Dean let go, she stumbled backwards, tripping on a chair and crashing to the floor. 

  "He never loved her. It was because of Corbin," Rose explained weakly, her words slurring. "He hated Corbin so much, and when his brother snagged the perfect girl, he couldn't tolerate it. So he killed her. But then he went all crazy, saying her heart was perfect, and she would have made a perfect mate instead. So he tried to go for the next best thing."

  "Dr. Kessler." Dean realized, as fucked up as that sounded. “You realize Dr. Kessler was her  _ foster _ parent, right?” 

  Rose frowned, getting up on unsteady feet. Dean settled back into his fighting stance, his body having gone lax at her explanations. 

  "Didn’t matter to him. But then he came running back here, finally came to his senses and telling me how he realized I was the one all along, and that everything would be perfect now." Rose’s eyes fell on the corpse behind Dean, rage reigniting within her eyes. 

  "And then you fucking ruined it!" She threw herself at Dean, just as he leaped to the side. His hands scrambled for his gun, and quickly latching on to it, he turned, shooting thrice in rapid succession right as she pounced on him again, after briefly flailing from her previous fall. 

  She fell against him with a gasp, her body going heavy as he lay half on top of Dean. 

  He grunted, turning to push her off his body. As she slid off him, he let out a pained groan, looking down to see her claws being pulled free from his torso. 

  "Fuck." He whispered, pressing a hand against his wound. He let his head fall back against the plush carpet, breathing heavily for a few moments. But then he forced himself to get up, the smell of dead werewolf starting to clog his senses. Holding onto a chair, he pushed himself upright, still holding onto his gun with his right hand pressed against his torso. Blood was already seeping through the wound, but thankfully, since Rose’s claws weren't too long, he figured the wounds weren't too deep. He could take care of it later, as soon as he tended to the current situation at hand first. 

  He could just burn the bodies and get rid of them... but he was at a damn orphanage. And the head of said orphanage was lying dead at his feet. So, with a sigh, Dean set his gun on the table before reaching over for the office phone by the computer, punching in the three numbers and holding it up to his ear as he leaned against the desk. 

  As soon as it connected, he spoke, clearing his voice from any pain and speaking lazily, if a bit concerned. 

  "Yeah I'm speaking near Locust street, uh, six, five, two-oh-one," he read off a visiting card from Rose's desk, a speckle of blood staining the corner of it. "Yeah there were a bunch of loud popping noises - almost like gunfire I guess? Right, like about a few minutes ago... no, I'm not in the building, but it's an adoption agency and there are kids inside, you know? Look, I’m at-” He rattled off the name of the agency, reading it straight from the card, before rolling his eyes when the voice on the other end of the phone nattered on. “Yeah, uh-huh. Uh, name? Oh yeah, it's -" Dean slammed the phone against its cradle, letting the line disconnect. Taking a napkin from his pocket, he wiped the phone clean of his prints, before pressing it against his torso with a silent hiss. Picking his gun back up, he exited the office, slowly making his way down the staircase. Somehow, none of the children were around, and either this was a restricted area, or they were some heavy sleepers. 

  He was actually starting to get concerned by the time he was in the hallway and no one was around. But then he heard a high pitched - hopefully adult - scream, and figuring everything was gonna be alright, Dean slipped out of the building, crossing the road and getting into his car. Still, he didn't leave until, a few minutes later, police cars was speeding down the road, coming to a screeching halt in front of the agency. Recognizing the sheriff from Michelle's house, Dean let out a sigh, his head leaning backwards. Feeling most of his tension drain away, he started up his car.

  Finally, he could go back home. The motel was already paid for, and it's wasn't like he left anything back there, so -

  He blinked, staring blankly at the traffic light in front of him. 

  Home. It had been years since he actually thought of a place as home. And even for the past few years, despite being his birth town, where he had been staying at Kansas and the reasons why he was staying made for no reason for Dean to call the place  _ home _ . 

  But then again, Dean wasn't thinking of his childhood house, or even the motel room he was still paying for... 

  Flashes of blue flickered in his mind, and with it he could just imagine smelling the ocean. It made him feel so free-

  A honk from behind him startled Dean into opening his eyes, and he was surprised to see the traffic light flashing green. Roaring ahead in a slightly higher than allowed speed to make up for his delay, Dean let his thoughts consume him again, though he ensured that he paid more attention to his surroundings now.  

  Home. 

  Dean couldn't believe that he was actually thinking the word now, and associating an actual image that he had access to in the real world with it. He knew though, that it wasn't permanent, nothing ever really was... but for as long as this lasted, Dean was adamant that he was going to enjoy it. As well as the alpha who kept invading his thoughts. 

  Home. 

 

oOo

 

**_Topeka, Kansas._ **

 

  Three hours later, Dean was parking himself in the parking lot behind Cas’s suite, when he realized with a jolt that he didn't have Cas - or any of the other brother's - phone number. It was around noon, which meant that Gabe and Balt were still at work, and most likely, Cas was still with one of them. And they wouldn't be back for several hours. 

  Dean let his head fall back with a groan. He could wait here, or he could try checking out Gabe's place. And besides, he was feeling pretty damn hungry, so maybe he could stop for some actual lunch on the way before getting his usual dessert and caffeine fix there. 

  Mind made up, Dean decided to stop at a local diner for some lunch. But first, he opened his trunk and took out his duffle, taking out his first aid kit and a spare shirt. Making sure that no one was around in the parking lot, which was empty except for the cars - and that he was hidden from the building's camera by his open trunk - Dean stripped off his shirt with a wince, dumping it at the top of his duffle. He took a washcloth, dampening it with his water bottle, before scrubbing away the dried blood. Once he was somewhat clean, and the washcloth not so much, he dumped it unceremoniously in his trunk, taking out a strip of bandage and wrapping it around his chest. It wasn't his best work at patching himself up, but it'd hold. 

  Dean took out another cloth, quickly rinsing off his face before he pulled on a cleaner t-shirt, followed by his usual flannel and then leather jacket. Thankfully, the latter wasn’t stained too much, and blood never really was easily seen on the dark color anyway. But he gave it a pat down anyway, flicking off a piece of what may have possibly been werewolf gut. 

  Putting everything back into his duffel, Dean closed his trunk. Getting back into the driver's seat, he finally made a move on towards  _ Sweet Stop _ . 

 

oOo

 

  Cas wasn't at Sweet Stop, but Dean ordered a cup of coffee and a pie filled with mini glazed donuts that tasted as sugary as fuck to-go anyway. Might as well take advantage while he was there and all that. On a whim, Dean ordered an extra cup of coffee. Nodding distractedly at Mandy and asking her to tell Gabe he was here - hopefully the beta would let Cas know if he didn't find him at the next place he was heading to... if Mandy even told Gabe. He wasn't too sure if she was even paying attention to him - he left  _ Sweet Stop _ , heading to Balt's nondescript shop next with his paper bag of sugary goodness inside balanced delicately between his two coffee cups set on a cardboard tray. 

  By the time Dean had walked over there, having left his car at the parking lot behind  _ Sweet Stop _ \- that area being safer than anywhere else, especially around where Balt set up shop - the tempting aroma of the rest of his pie was giving him a serious case of a watering mouth. Sincerely hoping that Cas was in here, Dean leaned against Balt's shop door to push it open, blatantly ignoring the no drinks or food allowed sign. Wasn't like he was keen on getting jinxed or cursed or suddenly biting into a salty instead of sugary pie on purpose, but he knew well enough to stay away from the merch with his food for that. Balt wasn't anywhere to be seen, though Dean knew better than to think he wasn't somewhere within the immediate vicinity. Thankfully, the man Dean wanted to actually see, though, was sitting behind the counter, his nose in a book as usual. The alpha's scent was stronger than the pie, and instantaneously, Dean's mouth was watering for an entirely different reason. 

  "Hey, bud." Cas' head snapped up, his face immediately breaking out into a grin. 

  "Dean! You're back!" He stood up, placing his yellow bookmark back between the pages of his book. Dean caught a glimpse of a bumble bee on the bookmark, dashed lines behind the little bee to show its path. 

  "Yep. Got you a coffee." He handed the extra cup over, which Cas took with a smile. 

  "You didn't have to."

  Dean shrugged, dismissive. "So... your brother here?" He asked. 

  Cas squinted his eyes, looking around, as if he could see through the shelves to see where his brother was. "Yes, he said he was going to reorganize some boxes..."

  Dean hummed, taking a drink of his own coffee. He was about to ask Cas if he wanted to pick up on his previous offer to watch some Game of Thrones, when Castiel suddenly frowned, staring at his chest. 

  "Dean. You're bleeding."

  Dean looked down, following the alpha's line of eyesight. Sure enough, the wound from Rose's claws must not have stopped bleeding, because a dark stain was starting to bloom on his shirt. 

  "Oh." He said dumbly. Castiel looked at him with a hint of frustration, which, ok, what?

  Castiel sighed, setting his cup down and coming around from behind the counter. 

  He reached for Dean's shirt, pushing away his flannel. Dean was jolted into reacting when Cas started tugging up his T-shirt. 

  "Woah, wait, hold up there a minute Cas!" Dean exclaimed, stepping rapidly backwards. He hissed as his coffee was jostled, some of it falling onto his hands. "'Least buy me some dinner first!"

  Cas tilted his head. "I apologize for being too forward, but Dean, you're bleeding. May I please take a look?" His words were asking for permission, but Cas's tone implied that he was a few seconds away from ‘taking a look’ anyway. 

  Dean sighed, raising his hands placatingly, his tray still in hand. "Ok, fine. But, I don't know, can we go somewhere more private?" He blatantly ignored the other possible meaning his words implied. No way was he going there right now. 

  "The storeroom is off limits to others. We could go there, if you'd like?"

  Dean raised an eyebrow at the door behind the counter. He'd obviously never gone in there before, and frankly had been fine not to. God knew what Balt kept in there, if he had stuff liked  _ dyed _ angel feathers. 

  But he had a feeling Cas was about to strip him bare of his shirt right then and there. And unfortunately, not in the fun way. 

  "Yeah, ok. Lead the way, man."

  Cas nodded, briskly walking back behind the counter and holding the door open, obviously expecting Dean to follow. And follow he did, entering the room before Cas, and pausing a few steps in to take a good look. He let out a low whistle, impressed. "Man, it's like a maze in here."

  He heard Cas hum almost distractedly from him, walking in front of him and disappearing between the shelves. 

  "Please remove your shirt and take a seat, Dean."

  He blanched. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few stools lining the wall by the door. Reluctantly, he set his tray of food on it, pausing to take a drink of his now lukewarm coffee. Wincing at its temperature, he set it back down, before reluctantly stripping free from his jacket. He rolled it up, putting it on another stool, before repeating the step with his flannel, trying to drag out as much as time as possible before he'd have to be half naked. 

  Mind, he didn't care about nudity. At least - not until Alastair. But something about Cas, despite having already seen his scars, made Dean even more so reluctant to let the man see him. But he started to take off his final layer anyway, just as he heard Cas returning behind him. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 22

 

  The first aid kit was all the way at the back of the store room, though why it was so far made no sense to Castiel. He fetched it and made his way back to Dean, absently checking through the kit to make sure it was still stocked. He looked up just as he reached Dean - 

  And took a sharp inhale. 

  Dean's back was littered in scars, a few colorful bruises blooming along the line of his back. And yet, the man was absolutely  _ breathtaking _ , both physically - his muscles flexing as he moved to remove his t-shirt and revealing the white of his bandages wrapped around his torso - as well as his soul. It was always glowing so bright, but right now, it was positively shining. It was as if now that Dean was unclothed and without anything to hinder Castiel’s view to his complete visage, Castiel was able to get the full force of the soul's brightness. But the angel knew better. 

  This soul was of the Righteous Man's, and it was calling out to its mate. 

  Swallowing thickly, Castiel took a shaky step forward, thankful that as an angel he was able to control whatever scent his alpha vessel would want to give off. And at least that wasn't acting out of the ordinary and going all independent, giving away his sudden attraction. 

  Ensuring that his scent was even and calm anyway, however, Castiel cleared his throat, tracing a bruise below the bandages on Dean's back. 

  Dean shivered, before abruptly flinching away from the touch. Castiel let his hand fall back to his side, trying not to let how startled he was feeling by Dean’s abrupt yet expected movement show on his face. 

  "Sorry." Castiel mumbled. Dean turned around to face him, shaking his head, though he looked a little unsteady himself. 

  "Nah, it's just - uh, your hands are cold." It was a lie. His grace always kept his vessel warm, no matter the external temperature. But Castiel let it slide, refocusing on the bandages in front of him. A circle of blood had seeped through the bandages, making it look as sticky as Castiel knew it would feel. Setting the first aid kit on top of Dean's shirts on the other stool, he started to unwrap the bandages, trying to ignore how close the action was bringing him to the other man.

  "Uh, hey, Cas. If you don't mind me asking, but you don't have to answer, I was just thinking that this would make things easier, but it's really up to you-"

  "You're rambling, Dean." Castiel gently reminded. Truthfully, he was glad the man was a bit distracted with whatever he was struggling to say, because the bandage had gotten stuck to Dean's skin thanks to the congealed blood, and he knew that tugging it apart was going to hurt. Nonetheless, he started to slowly pry it away from Dean's skin millimeter by millimeter, to avoid hurting the man. And the entire time Castiel continued to ignore how, just inches away, Dean's rib cage was, expanding with each inhale, coming a few centimeters closer to Castiel's face before retreating. The close contact with the intoxicating smell of his omega was surely going to drive Castiel insane if he didn't hurry, but he refused to be the cause of any pain for Dean. 

  "Right." Embarrassment radiated from Dean, but he cleared his throat. "I was wondering if I could get your number, man, 'cause I was wanting to tell you that I came back today, but uh..." he trailed off, and this time, there was no way Castiel could continue to pretend that Dean wasn't thoroughly flustered. 

  However, on the bright side, Castiel was finally halfway through removing the bandage. 

  "I actually don't have a phone."

  There was a pause. Castiel managed to pry a whole inch of the bandage free before Dean spoke again.

  "You don't have a phone?" Dean suddenly exclaimed. 

  Castiel hummed absently. Just a couple more inches. 

  "Apparently, cell phone towers produce ration which affect the bees' navigation. I found it hypocritical to own a cellphone after that."

  Dean was silent after that, just as the bandage fell free. He crumpled it up, putting it away carefully so that it wouldn't touch Dean's food or clothes, or the rest of the sterilized items within the first aid kit. He took out a needle and thread - undoubtedly the wound must have been quite deep for it to have bled through several layers - and kept it aside. Before he stitched it up, he was going to have to get rid of the dried blood.   

  "If you could straighten yourself so I could have better access to your wounds…” Castiel pushed, before turning to Dean, who’d complied, with a cotton swab in one hand and a bottle of alcohol in another. He settled himself to get a proper look himself at the wound, and then frowned. 

  "Dean," Castiel began hesitantly, even as he started to delicately dab away at the blood, trying not to apply too much pressure. "Did you get this from your job that had you away for the past few days?" It was a stupid question, he knew, because there was no other way Dean could have gotten it. And besides, Dean didn't reek of his mate's stench - the thoroughly nauseating smell of smoke from a fire burning through something rotten would cling heavily to Dean whenever he came back heavily wounded and traumatized from a night with his mate - nor were there any other cuts across his body. Just the five deep points, as if someone dug their fingernails into Dean's skin. 

_ Really _ , long fingernails.

  Dean stiffened. "Yeah." His answer was brief, and he didn't bother to say anymore. 

  "Balthazar told me you're a hunter." Castiel said conversationally, and that elicited a bigger reaction from Dean. 

  "So he did know!" Dean exclaimed, moving wildly. Castiel waited for him to settle down before he resumed cleaning, voice low as he spoke. 

  "Yes, not many people come in continuously, asking for the correct ingredients to make up a spell required usually for killing monsters."

  Castiel heard Dean smirk, before letting out a hiss of pain as Castiel inserted the needle. He cringed in sympathy, but continued to sew the wounds shut anyway, remaining silent apart from a hushed apology for the lack of warning. 

  After a moment of silence, Dean finally broke it again. "So you know, huh?"

  Castiel let a small smile grace his lips at his victory. "Yes. And if I were to hazard a guess, you got this from a werewolf. You certainly smell of one, anyway."

  Dean let out a impressed  _ huh _ . "You're pretty good."

  "Yes," Castiel repeated, now on the last wound. "And that is my argument for me to start accompanying you on your hunts." He stated matter-of-factly, knotting up the last thread. 

  Dean scoffed above him. "Ok, I'll admit you've got the brains, buddy, and a nurse's touch. But out there in the real world, it all comes down to your instincts and how fast you are with a gun-"

  In a second, Dean was off the stool, his back flat on the ground with Castiel holding the needle to his jugular, his other hand cupping Dean's neck to keep his head from connecting harshly with the ground. He may have been making a point, but he wasn't going to actually harm Dean... which proved to drive in his point all the better. 

  Dean's eyes widened. His hands were pinned between their torsos, but Castiel was also careful to keep his weight away from Dean's wound at the same time, even though Castiel's legs were pinning down Dean's as well. 

  "Guess you made your point..." Dean's eyes flickered to the needle, swallowing nervously. "So, uh, could you get off of me?" His voice was gruff, and when he looked back at Castiel, the alpha was horrified to realize that there was a flicker of fear in them, well masked as it was. Any hints of thrill the alpha felt at how much contact there was, was instantly gone.  

  Castiel quickly climbed off of Dean, offering a hand to help Dean up. 

  "Why do you want to come so badly anyway?" Dean asked, once they were both upright, the omega still bare chested as he stood in front of Castiel. So of course, Castiel couldn't help himself. His eyes were drawn to the man's chest before he was even aware of his actions. But then Castiel's eyes caught on the mating bite on Dean's collarbone. A burst of hate and anger erupted within him like a volcano at the sight. This was the mating bite that marked Dean as someone else's, someone that didn't treat Dean the way he deserved to be treated, instead decorating the omega's skin with harsh red welts and bruises constantly. This was the mating bite that forced Dean to have to run away from Cast-from having a break in his life, for something hopefully good, if not better.

  This was the mating bite that claimed Dean to someone that was not Castiel. 

  And this was clearly not the time or place to be thinking such thoughts. When Dean noticed where Castiel's eyes were, he immediately tensed, turning around to start pulling on his shirt. 

  It was then that Castiel remembered that Dean had asked him a question. His mind screeched forward, rushing forward to put together the dots again as Castiel mentally scrambled to remember the arguments he had formed.

  "I want to come with you," He began slowly, knowing that Dean was listening. "Because I don't want you to get hurt. If this is the only way I can prevent you from injuring yourself further, then I'll take it." It was clear, to both of them, that Castiel wasn't just talking about hunting. "And besides," he added, hoping to lighten the air between them. "I've heard that two brains are better than one. The same should apply for brawn as well.” He grinned when Dean turned to look at him, bemusement coloring his face. "Just think of me as your backup."

 Dean didn't look very impressed. But just as easily Castiel could tell that it was a mask, he also knew that Dean was sold. 

  "I'd like a celebratory beer first." 

  "Shall we head home then?" Castiel asked, picking up the first aid kit, his eyes never leaving Dean. And then the omega's phone vibrated, the sound clearly heard in the silence of the storeroom. It was with a sense of dismay, that he watched Dean's face shutter, the easy expression coming down as his walls went up, leaving it a blank mask as he opened his phone. 

 

oOo

 

  " _ Back from your hunt, omega? _ "

  Vaguely, he was aware that he had no sense of surprise that the demon seemed to know of his whereabouts. Dean's phone buzzed again, another message coming through. Dean opened his phone, his actions running on automatic at this point. 

  " _ Tonight. Make it 6. I want to start early tonight. _ "

  "Dean?" Cas's soft voice broke him out of his reverie. Dean blinked as he looked up, feeling as if he was wading through a thick fog. He should have been expecting this. Alastair always called the moment he set foot back in Kansas after a hunt. 

  Dean shot him a pained smile, silently begging the alpha not to broach the subject. "Sorry, Cas, but how about we head to a bar instead?" The implications were clear in his question, and he watched as Cas went silent, his face understanding. He was visibly holding himself back from protesting, Dean could tell, but thankfully, Cas said nothing about it, merely handing Dean's jacket to him. 

  "The bar it is."

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 23

 

  Castiel had had a hard time keeping quiet at the bar. However, every time he tried to look up at Dean, the other man was so clearly uncomfortable that each time, the words died in Castiel's threat, and he went back to hopelessly staring at his drink. Even the bartender, Anne Marie's appearance did nothing to appease the situation. If anything, it made Castiel want to tense up more, trying oh so very hard not to yell at the injustice of it all, of the torture that Dean was willingly walking into with his tail between his legs like a damned  _ trained _ dog.  

  And when 5:30 rolled around, Dean shot him a thin smile as he got up, slapping a few bills that was more than enough to cover both of their drinks. 

  "I'll see you later, Cas." His voice was soft, and Castiel barely managed to muster a smile in return before Dean was gone. 

  Castiel downed the rest of his drink in one go, slamming it harshly against the table. He didn't pay any heed to the glass when it cracked. He just let go of the glass, blankly adding his own bills to the small pile of money on the table, before exiting the bar, nodding at Benny as he walked by him. Castiel was aware that Dean was long gone. If not for his strong sense of smell as an alpha, then at least his angelic senses told him that the omega was very clearly not here. But it didn't stop Castiel from vainly looking around, severely dismayed when the Impala Dean drove was nowhere in sight. 

  Castiel sighed, bowing his head as he started to walk home. 

 

oOo

 

  Gabriel met him at the entrance of their suite, right outside the elevator doors, looking severely troubled. 

  "Heya, Cassie, buddy."

  Castiel raised his head, looking curiously at the archangel. 

  "Something's wrong." He stated, knowing enough of his brother for it not to be a question. Yet, for some reason, Castiel couldn't bring himself to care as much as he probably was supposed to. Had Bartholomew or Raphael themselves appeared right now, he didn't think - as Dean would say - he could bring himself to frankly give a shit. 

  "Yeah, so - I tried looking around for Dean's mate," Gabriel begin, and instantly, Castiel perked up, his sole attention trained on his brother. "Thought I could go over things myself, you know? And uh, Cassie, you are not going to like what I found."

 

  "Why don't we just break it ourselves?" Castiel exploded, a good several minutes later. But Gabriel was already shaking his head, looking at Castiel sadly. Never had Castiel loathed being looked at like that as much as he did now.  

  "We can't. Dean's just that good with his words, apparently. But in our case... even I'm pretty stuck. He's made it so we can't do anything without her directly, and with her so deep in hell... There's no way we can do anything to save Dean without risking ourselves, Cassie." Gabriel said, looking genuinely regretful. 

  "Or Dean." Castiel bitterly finished, before pushing himself past the archangel. He needed some air, and he needed it an hour ago. 

 

oOo

 

  Their short stay at the bar was mostly silent, Castiel having gritted his teeth in an obvious attempt not to say anything, and Dean surreptitiously staring into his beer. At first, Anne had been her usual happy self around them, but when she realized the two were definitely not going to get out of their somber slump any time soon, she knew well enough to leave them alone.

  For all that he had to leave early, Alastair had finished off early as well. Which meant that when it was nearing midnight, Dean found himself waiting at the elevator to Gabe's suite. He tiredly pressed the buzzer, waiting for one of the brothers to respond, and not really caring who answered. This time, it was Gabe. 

  " _ Owner of the all famous ‘Sweet Stop’, catering to your sweet tooth needs, at humane hours of the day. So kindly fuck off and come back when people aren't tryna relax free of the stress you lot induce just to get your sugar high- _ "

  "Gabe!" Dean finally cut in. "It's me."

  " _...Dean? _ "

  Dean sighed. "Yeah. Mind if I come up?"

  There was an agonizing pause, during which Dean debated on whether or not he should just leave, when the speakers called again as Gabe responded. 

  " _ Yeah, course! Stupid me, didn’t know who else I’d expect - sorry, bucko, for that mini rant _ ," Gabe rushed, even as the elevator finally dinged, announcing its arrival. " _ Was just in the middle of a little all about me session. _ " He said no more, and Dean wasn't really sure he wanted an explanation anyway. So he just got into the elevator without another word when its doors finally opened. 

  Despite his weariness, to the extent that he was slumped against the elevator’s wall, Dean somehow didn't actually fall asleep. The ride seemed to simultaneously take forever and was instantly over as soon as it had started. And when the elevator doors opened, Gabe was standing with his arms crossed, dressed in just a robe - that was thankfully tied closed - and was looking rather frustrated. Dean hesitantly got out, wondering if he was gonna be sent right back out, when his eyes fell on the TV still playing in the living room. 

  "Fuck - man -  _ Gabe _ !" Dean exclaimed, immediately closing his eyes. Forget being kicked out by Gabe, he was gonna get the hell out of this place himself. "Seriously?"

  He heard Gabe snort dryly. 

  "Yeah, well, like I told you. 'All about me session'."

  "Dude," Dean exhaled, opting to turn around as well, but he still couldn't stop hearing the noises coming from the TV as well. Which, just, no. Not that he had anything against porn, mind. If anything, the exact opposite. But the same porn that Gabe was watching mere moments ago? Fuck, no. "People usually jerk off in the privacy of their rooms, or, I don't know, stop watching when someone comes in!" His voice was raised, ever so slightly higher in shock. But seriously, he did not. Need to see. Gabriel in that position. Ever. 

  Anyone in his place would have probably completely lost their voice, so it was a miracle Dean even still had his.

  Thankfully,  _ thankfully _ , the noises finally stopped, and Dean risked a peek. And immediately shut his eyes with a groan. The video was only paused, and the TV was still on. 

  "Hey, this is excellent material. Not my fault you can't see the value in it. But then again, you probably only have eyes for my brother, so yeah. Go ahead, run up to him. He's with his bees." Gabe said dismissively, already collapsing back on the couch. Dean was about to reply, because - what the fuck, eyes for his brother? - when Gabe started to raise the remote, his finger poised threateningly above the play button. 

  "Ok, yeah, nope. I'm out of here." He didn't run to the staircase, but it was a damn close thing. Behind him, Gabe started laughing, before his voice was overwhelmed by the moans and grunts coming from the TV. 

  As he climbed the staircase, Dean felt a frown forming in his face. What the hell was Cas doing with his bees at practically midnight?

  Dean knocked softly on Cas's door, before realizing that if Cas really was with his bees, he probably wouldn't hear him anyway. So he let himself in, barely glancing around as he immediately strode straight for the balcony. Stepping outside, Dean took a deep breath. It was a cool night, and though he would never admit it, the multitude of plants that were softly swaying in the breeze smelled wonderful. 

  Turning to his right, he took a few steps forward, careful not to step on any of the said plants. Thankfully, there were a few candles standing on holders connected to the wall, and its light was enough for Dean to see his way through. Although, he was kind of confused on the fire hazard this posed...

  He looked up when he started to hear the sound of bees buzzing. Dean might have seen firsthand how they didn't appear to harm Cas, but he still wasn't gonna risk it without wearing a bee suit, as clumsy as it made him feel. 

  But then his breath caught. 

  Cas was standing in front of one of his beehives, a look of intent concentration on his face as one of the bees landed on his finger. His face was framed with the warm glow from the candles, and behind him, more of his plants were in full bloom, despite the season. The entire scene before him engraved itself in Dean's mind, he knew. He couldn't bring himself to move, to announce his presence. The sight in front of him was just so... serene. And it was causing his heart to twinge and flutter, but for some reason Dean was content with the feeling. 

  However, Cas noticed him all too soon. Cas straightened up, a smile erupting on his face. 

  "Dean." He breathed, softly. Absently, Dean noticed the bee fly away and back into its hive. Cas took a few steps forward, and unconsciously, Dean found himself doing the same, tiredly grinning back at Cas. 

  "Hey, Cas." He knew Cas was looking him up and down, but didn't say anything. He was just content to stand there in the night's cool air with the plants and bees surrounding them, their only source of light coming from the candles. 

  "You're tired," Cas observed, but his voice was still quiet. "You need to sleep."

  Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I, uh..." He found himself at a loss of words, suddenly wondering what he was even doing there in the first place. But before his mind could get too far with his doubts, Cas was reaching forward, his hand coming to a rest on Dean's shoulder. 

  "Come on. You should get to bed." 

  The next thing he knew, Cas was leading him back inside, blowing out the candles as they passed them, one by one. By the time they reached the balcony doors, they'd have been completely enveloped in darkness, had it not been for a small lamp at Cas's bedside. 

  They walked quietly together, side by side in the spacious hallway and coming to a stop at the same room Dean was always finding himself asleep in. 

  "Good night, Dean." Cas smiled at Dean again, and Dean was reminded of the last time they had stood like this. As if the two were on a date and Cas was always the gentleman, walking Dean to his room. He almost expected the man to give him a parting kiss at this point - but no. Goddamn it, no. He wasn't going there. 

  "G'night, Cas."

  He smiled, albeit a bit confused, when he found another set of clothes waiting on the table. It was if it was just sitting there for him, and on that subject, Dean realized he never returned any of the he was previously loaned. Resolving to get to do that soon, he changed into the soft clothes, climbing into the soft bed alone after turning off the lights. 

 

oOo

 

  Dean was very much not alone when he woke up. The sight of Cas lying right beside him on the bed, staring back at Dean, should have been alarming. Yet, for some reason, it didn't. Feeling strangely content - as if he was truly home for the first time in so many years - Dean looked back into the piercing blue eyes, letting the soft smell of rainfall settle over him. 

  "Do you usually have a habit of climbing into your guest's bed, Cas?" Dean joked. 

  But Cas frowned. "You had a nightmare... do you not remember what happened last night?" 

  Oh. So that explained things. In all honesty, Dean had no recollection of whatever transpired the previous night, but he could hazard a guess. His hand flexed at the thought, and that's when he realized he was holding on to Cas's arm. As if he was stung, he immediately let go, finally backing away. 

  He could see Cas's face closing down, but they didn't mention it. Instead, a moment later, his face immediately brightened again, a look of tentative hope as he spoke. 

  "I found us a hunt nearby."

  Dean raised his eyebrows, looking back at Cas. "Already? When did you even have the time?"

  Cas shrugged, or as best as he could in his current position. Why were they still lying down anyway?

  "Last night." He replied, vaguely. 

  "Right." Dean sat up, tiredly stretching his muscles. He could feel Cas's eyes on him, but didn't bother to acknowledge them. "Tell me what you've got. But first," he slid out of bed, grinning down at Cas as he slowly sat up as well, looking at him with the barest hints of confusion on his face. "It's my turn to cook you breakfast, buddy."

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 24

 

  The case Cas took them to was in Kansas itself - an hour's ride west though. It was a simple salt and burn type - made even crazily easy by the fact that Cas had researched the hunt to a friggin' T. They barely had to interview anyone, just drive up to the crime scene, wave around Dean's EMF meter - at his own insistence - to ensure that there was 'paranormal activity'. They were then off to the gravesite where the house's previous tenant was buried. The man has dabbled in witchcraft, and whether willingly or not, had tied himself to his house - which of course, extended beyond his death. 

  During this case, Dean found out three things about his new hunting buddy. 

  The first, very obviously, was that the man had  _ brains _ . Like the Velma of their little Scooby Doo gang of two, he had made Dean's job seriously easy - if a bit boring. 

  The second, was that he had a hell of a stamina. They both started digging together, not too worried about the ghost attacking them there what with it tied to the house and all, but after a while, Dean suddenly noticed that within an hour, they had covered way more than Dean usually would - even for two people. And that most of it was Cas's work. 

  Once he noticed that, he had a hard time to stop noticing  _ other _ stuff. Like the way Cas's muscles bulged under his white shirt, coat and trench coat both ditched for the labor, and the way that he was barely out of breath, and hadn't broken a single drop of sweat, and yeah, Cas was doing most... if not all... of the work by then. 

  The third, was that apparently, the guy had never used guns before. 

  "What am I supposed to do with it?" Castiel called out, staring the gun in confusion. 

  "Point it and shoot, dammit!" Dean yelled. He was pinned against the tree, their ghost's hand just seconds away from prying Dean's heart out. So apparently, the ghost, to defend it's corpse when necessary, was strong enough to untether itself from its house after all. 

  The gun blasted inches away from his face, thankfully shooting the ghost in the side of its head. 

  Dean slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, as Cas hummed thoughtfully. He was too busy looking appreciatively at the gun to realize that the ghost was materializing behind him again. 

  "Actually, these things can be useful."

  "Dammit Cas -  _ behind you _ !"

  Quick as a flash, he twirled around, cocking the gun and shooting in two seconds. The ghost disappeared just as Dean finally managed to pull himself upright with the tree's help. 

  "Are you alright?" Cas asked, finally looking at Dean with concern. 

  "Peachy." He replied gruffly, marching over to the corpse to finish his job and set it alight. Thankfully, after that, Cas had gotten the hang of shooting and reloading the gun. So from then on, he made for an excellent guard at making sure Dean wasn't getting his heart threatened to be ripped out from within his rib cage anymore. 

 

oOo

 

**_Topeka, Kansas - Dallas, Texas_ **

**_Early-mid August, 2009_ **

 

  They had to stop back in Topeka, because of Alastair. Cas didn't look happy one bit about that, but stayed true to his word in keeping silent, retreating to his suite while Dean spent majority of his nights with the demon. 

  If Alastair was getting extra creative with his torture, then it was no one but Dean's burden to bear. Except for when Cas was the one to help treat them. 

  But they were quickly back on the road again, this time heading out of state for a vampire nest that Dean had found. And in the process, Dean learned that, while Cas was new around but a fast learner with a gun, he was hella dangerous when it came to blades. 

  Which he gets a personal demonstration of when Cas stabs the vampire in front of him, yanking his machete out to behead one approaching him from behind, and then finishing off the previous vamp. All within the span of maybe seven seconds. 

  "Fuck, Cas," Dean breathed out, leaning against a knee propped up on a chair. "I knew you said you were good, but I think you mighta downplayed your skills a bit there, buddy." They had finally finished exterminating all the vampires, leaving the warehouse they were in strewn with headless vampires on the floor. The fact that they were even in a warehouse was making Dean severely jumpy, but he tried to distract himself, first with the vamps, and now that they were dead, he turned his attention completely on Cas. The man was monotonously wiping his blade clean, and as usual, neither was he breathing hard, sweating, or even stained with a single fleck of blood. It was starting to drive Dean insane, how crazily perfect this man was. A bit too perfect...

  "I've had practice." Cas responded simply. His blade finally clean, he let it swing limply at his side, turning to look at Dean. 

  Dean raised his eyebrows. "Practice." He repeated dryly. "You've executed vamps before?" He asked, and yeah, he was starting to get a bit suspicious. 

  But Cas merely shook his head, looking outside. The sun was starting to rise, and the warehouse was starting to brighten up inside. The small amount of light was enough to start putting Dean's nerves at ease, albeit as slowly as the sun was rising. 

  "No. Just practice fighting." He didn't meet Dean's eyes as he turned away, leaving Dean with a weird sense that he had just been lied to. 

  "Right." Dean muttered, but Cas was already starting to exit the warehouse. 

  After a moment's pause, he started to follow him, catching up with him just as they reached the car. 

  "Where to next?"

  "Passed by a place called Norma's Cafe earlier." Dean said, getting into the car. "Can't leave the town without eating a single burger." Dean winked at Cas, starting up the engine. Beside him, Cas shot him an exasperated look, but it was ruined by the slight smile he tried to hide by turning away to roll down the windows. On his side, Dean did the same, letting a sigh of relief at the blast of fresh air. He loved the sun, he really did, but Dean couldn't help but admit that he was looking forward to autumn hurrying up and getting its ass here already. 

 

oOo

 

**_Northgate, Washington_ **

**_Mid August, 2009_ **

 

  A week later, they were back on the road, having taken a brief reprieve to let Dean recuperate from the worst of his injuries. Cas had been positively fuming when Dean appeared with wounds clearly caused by a whip made to cut into skin, and had disappeared completely after bandaging Dean's back. He returned a couple of hours looking calmer, and even sheepishly apologetic. 

  The entire week, Cas had spent the nights in Dean's bed. At this point, he didn't even have to wait for Dean to call out to him, instead, saving them both the trouble by just getting into bed with Dean when they retired for the night. Somewhere along the way, Dean stopped waking up in the middle of the night, struggling to breathe. As soon as his nightmares came, they seemed to pass. But he still didn't let Cas go. Physically, he actually kept his hand fisted in Cas's shirt the entire night. As soon as he knew Cas knew he was awake, he let go. But under the guise of sleep, Dean continuously had reached out for that contact. 

  "Run the case details by me again?" Dean asked. They were currently seated in the Impala, an hour left in their two day trip to reach their destination. Cas had offered to drive in between, so that Dean could both rest while Cas got them there sooner, but Dean had declined good naturally. One day, he promised. One day he might let Cas drive his Baby. But it sure as hell wasn't today. 

  "Girl found almost dead in a seemingly suicide attempt," Cas recited from memory. "Saved after authorities were reported to have been called by neighbors complaining of loud noises and bright lights from the abandoned apartment building." He summed up. 

  Dean hummed. He switched lanes on the I-5, passing a car driving slowly in the carpool lane before merging left again in front of it. "So what do you think?" He asked, prompting Cas. "Vengeful spirit?" 

  "It's possible." Cas replied. "Unless a gang fight broke out." 

  Dean snorted. "Highly unlikely." He responded dryly. 

  Cas hummed in agreement. 

 

oOo

 

  They stopped by a motel first, checking into a room - with two doubles, thanks - so that they could rest a bit before they went to check out the vic. Cas had to force Dean into getting at least a couple of hours of sleep, stating that since visiting hours hadn't even started yet, they had plenty of time before they needed to leave. 

  Despite being told off to rest, while Cas was busy doing whatever in the bathroom, Dean pulled the laptop towards him. He opened up the case's details, refreshing his memory and reforming some plans in his mind. By the time Cas came out, Dean had decided to go with a completely different route than the one they initially planned on. 

  "So instead of fed suits," Dean began, glancing up at Cas. He was still wearing his regular ensemble, minus the trench coat. "I was thinking we go in as the staff. It'll be easier to interview the girl." The girl - their victim - was a Sarah Johan-Ellis, nineteen years old, admitted in rehab on suicide watch.  

  Cas cocked his head at Dean. "And you think this will be beneficial?"

  Dean nodded. "Yeah, patient at a hospital and all, she's not gonna want to talk to feds. We'll just go in as nurses or orderlies or whatever, ask her what happened. Make it look like part of the treatment, you know?" Dean stretched out, closing the laptop and standing. 

  "And this won't affect her treatment?" Cas asked with concern. 

  Dean rolled his eyes, though he did understand Cas's sentiment. "Dude, don't worry. I'm not gonna make her go into a psychotic breakdown or anything. Plus, who knows. Maybe it’ll be better than going in as a fed." He shrugged. 

  "Maybe." Cas hummed.

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 25

 

  "Hey there, Sarah."

  Dean sat himself on the only stool in the room, trying to make himself look as compassionate as he could. Cas was standing near the doorway, keeping an eye out on the hallway. 

  The girl didn't respond, but she brought her knees closer to her chest, her arms encircling them. Even though her hands were practically at her sides, it was hard to miss the white bandages around her wrists. Her already pale face was practically white and drawn. She looked a lot like how Dean imagined he looked himself before he met Cas. But her bags were deeper under her eyes, so much so that she could have easily been mistaken for having a couple of black eyes. 

  "I just wanted to ask a couple of questions, if that's alright?" Dean asked the omega softly. Her eyes flitted from Dean, to Cas, before she was looking resolutely back to the barred window. Her hand came up to tug at a strand of her multicolored hair, twirling it almost absently around her finger. When her arm had briefly straightened out, Dean managed to get a quick glimpse of the pinpricks at the crook of her elbow, the surrounding skin darkened. And as she continued to tug on her hair, Dean caught a glimpse of a fading mating bite. 

  Aw,  _ shit _ . 

  "Sarah, can you tell me if you've been seeing anything? Maybe hearing strange things?" Honestly, he kinda wished he had eased into the questioning. Especially when Sarah's eyes widened, her eyes tearing up, before burying her head into her knees, her arms hugging herself tightly again. But in his defense, he was thrown off by the mating bite, which had definitely not been included in the newspaper article. And it was either this, or asking her right away about the night the girl tried to supposedly off herself, and that had a higher chance of been blown over than anything else. 

  Dean sighed. "Sarah, if you have anything to say, you don't have to worry, you can tell me. I promise I won't judge." He waited for a few more minutes, but it was clear that he wasn't gonna get any answers soon. So he stood, looking regretfully at Sarah, who had practically curled herself up into a ball. 

  He left the room, gesturing silently to Cas to follow him. 

 

oOo

 

  "Well, that was helpful." Dean grumbled, starting up the car as Cas climbed into the passenger seat. They both had changed, Dean into some jeans, a tee, and his flannel under the customary jacket. And Cas was in his ever present suit and trench coat. God, Dean needed to get the guy new clothes that were more appropriate for the job. 

  "Sarah is a mentally disturbed, most likely even traumatized girl. I didn't really expect for any answers to be so easily forthcoming myself." Cas mused. "Did you not see the mating mark at the base of her neck?"

  Dean swallowed uncomfortably. He twisted himself in his seat to look behind him to make sure there weren't any cars before merging on to the road.

  "Yeah. Girl probably went half crazy when her mate died. God, if there wasn't a ghost behind this, I'd say she purposely tried to off herself." Dean paused. "You think she did?" He suddenly asked Cas.

  The man responded with a slight look of confusion of his own. "That wouldn't explain how the ghost would come into this, and there's most definitely something supernatural involved." 

  Dean hummed, checking the time. Still a couple of hours before sunset. "Guess we've got only one thing left to do right now, then."

  "Checking the building Sarah was found in?" Cas asked. 

  Dean grinned at him, merging on to the road. 

  "Smart man."

  Picking up speed, he navigated through the traffic congested roads, frowning in irritation when the traffic light took forever to turn green. 

  "So, Cas," Dean spoke up, desperate for a distraction. "Castiel... you know, you never told me your last name!" He realized. 

  Beside him, Cas shuffled in his seat, and Dean stared at him in surprise. During their entire trip, the man barely moved at all, sitting like a fricking statue most of the time. Each time Cas did move, it kept taking Dean off guard, though he didn't exactly know why. 

  "Ah... Novak. Though I'm not really used to being referred by my last name."

  Dean snorted, casting the alpha by him a look. "Mr. Castiel Novak," he tested the name out on his tongue. "Huh."

  Cas stared at him curiously, but by then, Dean was already turning into a secluded street. The street was uncomfortably silent, barely any activity present, but easily explained what with the rundown buildings in a severe state of disrepair that several of them looked like they were about to fall in on themselves. 

  "Alright now, Mr. Castiel Novak." Dean leaned forward, looking out the windshield at each building as he decreased his speed to a steady crawl. "Which building was it?"

  Cas pointed out a building all the way at the end of the street, and parking outside of it, they quickly got out. Dean instinctively cast a distrustful glance around, grabbing his shotgun and salt rounds from the trunk before forcefully locking the doors. Together, they made their way inside, Cas walking ahead while Dean brought up the rear, shotgun resting against his shoulder with one hand while sweeping the air with his EMF meter in the other. 

  "Sarah was found upstairs," Cas said, his hold on his shotgun rather awkward. "Second floor, with her wrists slit. But there was also an excessive amount of drugs within her system when the ambulance had found her."

  "So you're saying she overdosed?" Dean raised his eyebrows. They came to a stop when they reached the staircase, and Dean waited for Cas to reply before they moved again. 

  "Yes."

  Dean let out a low whistle. "Well, shit. Alright. You take the bottom level while I look upstairs?"

  Cas frowned at Dean. "I don't see how that's the best of options. What if the ghost decides to attack you?" Dean rolled his eyes, pointedly waving his shotgun at the man. 

  "Relax, buddy. I can take care of myself - been doing so for all these years." When Cas's grown only deepened at that, Dean let out an affronted look, not bothering to mask the insulted scent wafting from him. "And god, fine.  _ If _ anything happens, I'll definitely yell." He promised Cas with a roll of his eyes. But it seemed to appease the alpha anyway, and so they split up without further complaint from him. 

  The moment Dean stepped foot at the upstairs landing, the EMF he still carried in his hand started to beep wildly, the lights at the top starting to flash. 

  "There we go." Now that it was confirmed he was in the right area - or he could be in the wrong building hitting up another ghost, he wouldn't be surprised. What with the kind of area they were at, Dean can't say it wasn't the first time he'd ganked one ghost only to realize it was the wrong frigging one - he put away his EMF meter, pushing in the antenna and shoving the device in his pocket. Steadying his grip on his shotgun, he looked around, eyes taking in all the details of each room before moving on to another. Dean stopped at what must have been a bedroom at some point, with its doorway blocked off with the yellow of the police crime scene tape. Tearing through the tape, he stepped inside, nose immediately wrinkling at the particularly strongly smell of the combination of weed and heroine. There was also a faint smell of blood lingering under all the chemicals. Taking the time to cross over to the other side of the room to push open the dirty and stained window, Dean took a deep breath of the fresh air. He turned around, the added light helping Dean see clearer. The room had been cleared, thanks to the ever helpful policemen, clearly intent on making Dean's life just that much harder. Still, while the room had undoubtedly been stripped bare of whatever drugs and other materials Sarah might have used, Dean doubted the police would have an eye like his, keen for what he was specifically looking for. 

  Though he had no idea what the thing in question was. 

  Dean opened the drawers of a desk, placing his gun on top of it, slamming the drawers shut when they all proved to be empty. Opening the last of them and still not finding anything, he straightened up, standing in the center of the room. Pulling his gun back into his hand, he let his eyes slide over the room one more time, and -

  There. Right by the bed - and he desperately ignored the yellowed sheets stained with red for the time being - to the point of being almost under it, which would explain why he hadn't seen it earlier, not to mention the lack of lighting, was a lock of black hair. Dean bent down, picking it up and holding it close to inspect it. It was long and soft, and way too evenly cut at its edges for its presence to be a coincidence. Standing, Dean cast one last look around the room, making a mental note to come back and burn the sheets. Not finding anything else, he left the hallway, briskly walking back the way he came and started descending the stairs. 

  "Cas?" He called out. He immediately appeared at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Dean with a concerned reaction. 

  "Is everything alright?"

  "Yeah, I'm fine - Jesus, man, what were you doing? Standing right by the staircase?" Dean asked, bewilderedly. Cas looked decidedly uncomfortable for a moment. 

  "No..." His tone of voice definitely suggested otherwise, however, to Dean. "You called?" He asked.

  Dean raised his eyebrow at the blatant change of subject, but acquiesced, coming to stand beside Cas as he showed the lock of hair to Cas. 

  "Found this upstairs." Dean said simply, letting Cas take it from his hand to look at it closely himself. "I was thinking we should head to library, see if we can find any recent deaths, maybe find out if we can find out who our ghost is there."

  Cas nodded, and he made to turn away, but Dean stopped him. 

  "Hey, uh, hold up. There's something I need to do first." Jogging back upstairs, he quickly gathered the sheets, trying to avoid touching the blood directly. When he came back downstairs, Cas was regarding him curiously, but mercifully stayed silent as Dean exited the building, dumping it in a pile on the gravel driveway. Walking to his car, he unlocked the trunk, exchanging his shotgun for a canister of gasoline. A few moments later, the sheets were ablaze on the road, and Cas and Dean stood side by side as they watched it until it died down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, woulda look at that! Actually managed to post slightly earlier in the day than last week ;D


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for non-consensual scene in italics, mentions of suicides, suicide attempts, drugs, and overdoses

  Castiel had expected Dean to stop at a diner to grab something to eat, but the man yet again continued to prove his diligence by heading straight for the Seattle Public Library, not too far from the abandoned building.

  As they drove, Castiel let his thoughts wander... specifically about the man beside him. It was interesting, because Castiel felt like he was learning something new about the omega everyday, especially just whenever he thought he had Dean figured out. From the small act of burning those sheets and showing his compassion, to Dean's very obvious passion to hunting, Castiel was finding it harder and harder to not fall for the man he had scent bonded with. And yet, Dean kept catching Castiel off guard, and not necessarily in the best way. When Dean had asked him for his last name, he nervously gave out his vessel's surname, unable to come up with anything else at the spot. And wasn't that a feat, an angel being caught not knowing what to say by a mere human. 

  But it was this human that Castiel was finding himself closer to. Every time they talked, whether it be something light and jovial, or something about Dean - though he was very close guarded with practically everything about himself. The information Castiel knew about the man was only gleamed through Dean's lightly passed comments; like how he had a severe sweet tooth for pie, or how much he cared for his car. Castiel longed for returning the trust - and it was a great deal of it that he knew Dean was placing in Castiel, by letting Castiel accompany him constantly. But the only way he knew how was to reveal details about himself. Castiel knew that if he were to go ahead with that, then whether or not Dean chose to return the favor by letting Castiel in on more details about himself, at least the alpha would be content in letting Dean in on Castiel's identity.

  But it would take a giant leap of faith on Castiel's part, because anything and everything about Castiel was inevitably and far too intricately entwined with his being an angel. So maybe Castiel was having trouble in taking that leap first. The very thought of telling Dean about his true nature made him anxious as to how the man would respond. If it were anything negative... Castiel didn't think he could bear not being with Dean, even if it was just as the hunting partners Dean proclaimed they were right now. 

  They arrived at the library, and Castiel was grateful to see that the library was still open. It was already half past six, but since it was a weekday, the library was to be open for another hour and half, as was displayed on a board at the entrance of the library. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts, Castiel followed Dean into the library, prepared for the monotonous act of researching in the human way. Another reason to tell Dean about his angelic status - he could have this research done within seconds. Castiel wondered if that would be good enough incentive for Dean, or if he would feel like it ruined the tradition of a hunt. 

  The thought of Dean reacting in the latter, admittedly stung. 

  "Alright," Dean said, his voice a bit low in respect of their surroundings as he headed to the computers. "So. We're looking for the death of or anything strange about a black haired... gal, I'm guessing."

  Dean booted up a computer, sitting in front of it. Castiel went to stand behind him, watching Dean wait for it to load before he started typing in the search engine. 

  "I don't know, recent deaths in Northgate?" Dean muttered, typing it in. Immediately, they were redirected to a page full of articles. Dean clicked on the first one. 

  "Bingo."

  A picture of a black haired girl was at the top of the article. Above it, the headline read, " _ Girl overdoses on drugs, reported by mate. _ "

  Castiel bent down to read the article alongside Dean, his head coming close to the omega's. He was momentarily distracted by the aroma of cardamom and leather, before he focused on the article again. 

  " _ Victoria Ellis, Alpha, 23, was found dead on July 4th, 2009. Ambulances were called on scene by Victoria's omega mate, who was also present at the scene and highly intoxicated... _ " There was more to the article, but Dean was suddenly scrolling far too quickly, merely skimming through it. 

  "Victoria's omega mate... that's probably Sarah." Dean mentioned to Castiel. "So either Sarah killed her, or Victoria really did off herself, whether on accident or on purpose, and now our dear Vicki is out to reunite with her soulmate in the afterlife?" Dean mused aloud to Castiel. 

  Castiel hummed, thinking. It was a bit off, but the best lead they had. "Does it say where she's buried?"

  Dean scrolled through the article again, this time slower, before coming to a stop. "It doesn't." He grumbled, slightly frustrated. "She was cremated, as per her family's tradition."

  "So unless she's latched on to a worldly object..."

  "Then she's being held on to by Sarah," Dean finished, tilting his head to meet Castiel's gaze. Castiel wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that with how close they were, they were probably crossing a line on social etiquette with 'personal space'. "So that leaves us to have another talk with our recently widowed patient."

 

oOo

 

  By the time Cas and Dean snuck back into the rehabilitation facility, it was near night time. But they didn't get anywhere close to interviewing Sarah. When they turned into the right corridor, where Sarah's room was supposed to be, they found themselves watching as nurses were yelling out commands, trying to keep the other patients calm while a couple of nurses rushed into Sarah's room. Dean just managed to get a glimpse of blood stained sheets before they were wheeling Sarah away on a gurney, the noise dying down where they were standing as it followed the nurses to the emergency wing. 

  "Well, shit," Dean whispered to Cas, when they were no longer surrounded by the harried staff. "C'mon. Let's go check out her room, maybe we'll get some reading on the EMF meter." 

  They glanced around surreptitiously, making sure no one was paying attention to them, before walking in. While blood wasn't a new sight to Dean, this time it made his stomach turn slightly, seeing all the blood staining the white sheets of the plain bed, knowing how the blood came to be. 

  "We're definitely ganking this ghost ASAP." Dean muttered with fervor, turning to Cas. But the alpha was frowning, his gaze trained on the ground. 

  "What?" Dean turned to follow Cas's line of sight, looking around in confusion until his eyes fell on the lock of black hair on the ground. 

  "Something tells me this isn't from our fellow employees..." Dean murmured, as he picked it up and holding it pointedly at Cas. 

  Cas nodded. "Victoria."

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 26

 

  They returned to the motel room, unable to do anything else for the night. Stopping by Patty's Eggnest, they managed to snag some dinner - Dean complaining about the prices the entire time - before closing time, deciding to order to-go and eat within the confines of their motel room. Once there, Dean collapsed on to his bed, his takeout box on his lap as he started to shovel his Salisbury Steak in his mouth. For all that it was expensive for supposedly being diner food, the food was still damn great. 

  "Will we be going back to the hospital tomorrow?" Cas asked, taking off his trench coat and placing it on the back of the chair. Dean's eyes tracked his movements, watching as Cas sat at the motel table, picking at own dinner. He had gotten the same thing as Dean, having dismissively shrugged and muttering to Dean that whatever he was ordering for himself was fine with him at the diner.

  "Yeah. We'll see how she's feeling tomorrow, and hopefully we'll be able to talk to Sarah about Victoria without making her break down. Easy," Dean grumbled dryly. "It's not like Sarah just saw the ghost of her ex-mate coerce her into killing herself or anything." 

  Cas narrowed his eyes at Dean. "It's not easy to live without a mate." He said, as if coming to a conclusion. 

  "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." Dean retorted, but his voice held no real bite to it. The very subject was making his neck crawl, and his hand gripped his fork tighter as Dean fought off the urge to clamp a hand over his own bite. Suddenly not feeling hungry, he dumped the take out box on the nightstand by him, sitting up to kick off his boots. The digital clock read 9:07 in bright red.  

  "I'm gonna get some shut eye." He announced, not looking at Cas, blatantly ignoring the fact that he normally wasn't asleep for a good few hours. After a few moments, he was huddled in bed anyway, the covers pulled up to his chin as he turned on his side, away from the nightstand. He heard Cas come up to him, causing Dean to tense. But Cas merely took his takeout box, and a few seconds later he heard Cas settle it on top of the table. The chair creaked as Cas sat down again, and then everything was silent. 

  Dean's eyes were still open, staring flatly ahead at the door. He wasn't really tired whatsoever, and ended up not noticing when he did fall asleep eventually.  

 

oOo

 

_ "Will you take the deal?"  _

_ "You won't go back on your terms?" _

_ "Of course not." _

_ Dean gritted his teeth, his jaw flexing as he looked away. "Fine." _

_ "Then we must seal the deal." She winked at him lavishly.  _

_ "What, the bite isn't enough?" Dean snarled.  _

_ "That's different. That seals his claim on you. This is to seal our deal as a whole." _

_ Dean snarled, his canines bearing, before he restrained himself, pulling his teeth back in with visible difficulty. "Fine." _

_ Immediately she was on him, kissing him for all it was worth. Despite his disgust, he forced himself to kiss her back, digging his nails into the back of her head in the only act of violence he could display in retribution.  _

_ With one last suck of his lips, she retreated, but not before she let her own canines dig into Dean's bottom lip, tearing at the soft skin and immediately drawing blood. She hummed, lapping at his blood as she drew away. "Delicious." She winked again. Dean snarled, but stepped away. "Alastair will be waiting for you at..." his phone buzzed, and she looked pointedly at his pocket. "That address. He'll be expecting you. And remember, fail to answer..." _

_ "I won't." Dean said shortly.  _

_ "Good." In a blink, she was gone. Dean slumped to the ground.  _

 

  The scene changed. 

 

_ He was on his stomach, naked, face buried into the pillow to hide the pain contorting his features. But then his head was yanked back harshly, Alastair whispering in his ear.  _

_ "Say it." He thrusted harder into Dean, making the omega let out a pained whimper. " _ **_Say it_ ** _." He hissed.  _

_ "Alpha," Dean sobbed, his chest heaving. He cried out as Alastair dragged his long nails over Dean's ass, digging into the skin and drawing blood. "M-my alpha." _

_ Dean let out a long howl as Alastair bit into his collar bone. The demon's canines sunk in, drawing blood, and as Alastair lapped it up, he came inside Dean, his knot tugging painfully at Dean's rim.  _

_ Alastair pulled free, eliciting a whine from Dean as his teeth was extracted from his skin. He bit at his own wrist, before holding it at Dean's mouth. "Drink."  _

_ Dean helplessly licked tentatively at Alastair's wrist, but then the demon was shoving his wrist into his face. "Drink, bitch!" _

 

  "Dean!"

  Dean gasped, abruptly sitting upright. Cas was leaning over him, a hand on his shoulder as he looked down at Dean with concern. At the touch, Dean flinched away, making Cas's hand drop free. He buried his face in his hands. 

  "Was I screaming?" He asked after a moment, his voice low and resigned. Cas paused, before hesitantly answering, coming to sit at the foot of Dean's bed. 

  "You were getting there."

  Dean nodded, dropping his hands back to his lap. But he still didn't lift his head up yet. "What time is it?"

  "Three minutes past one." Cas responded. Dean rubbed wearily at his face, and then stopped to stare at his hand. Son of a bitch, his hand was shaking. 

  Dean made to move out of bed, when Cas stopped him. "Where are you going?" He asked gently. 

  Dean refused to look at him. "I don't know. Out. Somewhere." He answered shortly. Cas sighed. 

  "You've barely gotten any sleep-"

  "I don't know if you've noticed, Cas, but I'm not gonna be able to go back to sleep any time soon." But he still stayed in bed, hoping, daring...

  After a moment, Cas started to strip off his coat suit, tie, and socks, before getting into Dean's bed, lying so close to the edge that he was about to fall over. 

  "Is this ok?"

  Dean still hesitated. But he was already won over, and with a long exhale, he was lying down again, pulling the sheets over them. There was a large enough distance between the two, enough for another - thin - person to lay between them on the bed, despite the fact that they were both already above average sized men - Dean more so despite his status as an omega. 

  After a moment, Dean shuffled himself closer, slowly reaching out to pull Cas from the edge of the bed. "You're gonna fall over, dude." He said roughly. Dean saw Cas's face lighten up, but the guy wisely kept his mouth shut, letting himself be maneuvered however Dean saw fit.   

  A few moments later, though Dean would adamantly deny to his dying breath that this was not the position he had intended for them to get into, Dean was snuggled against Cas's chest, his hands holding on to the front of Cas's shirt tightly, the alpha' arms around him. Breathing in the scent of fresh rain on grass, Dean let his eyes fall close. 

 

oOo

 

  As usual, they were in silent agreement to not speak of the previous night's events. So they got ready in silence, Dean shoving their steak in the garbage after nearly poisoning his lungs for a sniff-check while Cas freshened himself up in the bathroom. 

  Hearing the bathroom door open, Dean turned. "Ready to go, Cas?" His eyes roved over Cas's appearance, the man still wearing that goddamned trench coat over his suit, and Dean's gaze caught on something. Rolling his eyes almost fondly, he moved forward, coming to stand in front of Cas. Tugging the blue tie Cas was wearing - backwards - loose, he started to tie it again, properly this time. It was only as he tightened the knot, that he realized how close he was standing to Cas, and his breath caught. 

  "Thank you, Dean." Cas said, his voice soft. The entire time, he had been watching Dean's deft hands at work, but now his blue eyes were piercing into Dean's. 

  "Uh," Dean swallowed. With difficulty, he managed to pull away his hands from Cas's firm chest, taking a step back. And then another. "Yeah. 'Course," his voice was rough. "C'mon, we should go." He turned away, walking briskly out of the motel room, leaving a befuddled Cas behind. 

 

oOo

 

  "Hi, Sarah." Dean slowly seated himself on the stool, looking warily at the girl in front of him. She was leaning against the wall this time, sitting cross legged on her bed, her hands on her lap with her wrists on open display. "Do you remember me?" She didn't respond, but her eyes slid to a point behind Dean's shoulder. Her gaze intense was so intense, that, a little unnerved, Dean automatically looked behind him. There wasn't anything, except the faint smell of lavender managing to seep through the hospital's sterile disinfectants. From his spot at the doorway, Cas shuffled a bit. 

  He turned to look back at Sarah, and was admittedly a bit shocked to see her now meeting his gaze. 

  "Hey." He said, a bit stupidly. Clearing his throat, he started again. "How're you feeling?"

  She blinked. "You smell weird." Her voice was raspy, as if she hadn't spoken in a long while. 

  Initially, Dean was finally happy that he managed to get a response from the omega, but then his immediate second thought was, what the fuck? 

  Trying not to let his offense show, but he had a feeling he looked pretty taken aback anyway, he cleared his throat again, awkwardly. 

  "Well, uh. Thanks. I guess." He swapped the medical clipboard from one hand to another. "Sarah," Dean's voice turned serious, as he leaned forward slightly on his stool. "Can you tell me what happened yesterday?"

  Immediately, the atmosphere changed, as panic and despair started to radiate from Sarah. She went pale, her jaw falling slack as her eyes unfocused and started to water. 

  "She won't let me." Sarah whispered. Dean tilted his head, glancing at Cas besides him. 

  "Who won't let you do what?"

  "V... she keeps stopping me.” Tears started streaming down her face. Dean, more confused than ever, barely managed to keep himself quiet as Sarah went on. "Every single fucking time, she keeps stopping me." Her voice dropped down to a whisper, and Dean unconsciously lowered his voice as well. 

  "What do you mean, she keeps stopping you? What isn't she letting you do, Sarah?"

  The fog in Sarah's eyes suddenly cleared, pinning Dean with an alarming amount of intensity, as she abruptly sat upright, her hands forming fists as she punched the bed. "She won't let me join her!" Sarah sobbed, her voice in hysterics. And then she yelled. 

  " _ She killed herself but now my alpha won't let me join her _ !" 

  All hell broke loose, as Sarah started shrieking, collapsing face first against her bed and punching the mattress. 

  "Aw, son of a bitch." Dean whispered, standing up. He longed to comfort the fellow omega, but he knew that the nurses would soon come in to see what the commotion was, and if they found Cas and Dean... well they'd probably try to fire them, until they realized they didn't work here. Then all Dean could see was a one way ticket to jail, and one too many questions for the both of them. 

  "C'mon." Dean tugged on Cas's sleeve, pulling him out of the room. When Cas refused to move, Dean pulled harder. "Come on, Cas! There's nothing we can do - for fuck's sake, the nurses are on their way!" And sure enough he could see a nurse at the outside the door hastily starting to shove the thick security door open, as if the sheer force would make the electrical door swing open faster. Finally, Cas started moving. Just as Dean turned to pull Cas one more time, shoving Cas in front of him, he looked back in the room, and paused. A dark haired girl was looking with a heartbroken face, an arm reaching out as if to comfort Sarah's sobbing form on the bed. As if aware of Dean's stare, she turned to look at him. Her face was apologetic, looking despondently at Dean with her green eyes, as her form flickered. She looked back at Sarah, and Dean ran after Cas, both of them running out of the building. 

  They were silent until they reached the car, Cas having hardly broken a sweat as usual, while Dean was breathing heavily. He was feeling severely stressed out at leaving Sarah behind in such a state, but  _ shit _ , what could he do?

  "So Sarah didn't kill Victoria." Cas broke the silence after a moment, looking steadily at Dean over the car's roof. Dean nodded, slowly regaining his breath as he looked back at the rehabilitation facility. 

  "No. She killed herself," Dean replied grimly. "And then all this time, Victoria was trying to stop Sarah from killing herself as well."

  "What are you going to do?" Cas asked, and when Dean turned to look at him in confusion, he found Cas staring at him intently. 

  "What do you mean?"

  "Victoria's spirit is still present." Cas said pointedly, surprising Dean. 

  "Cas, did you not hear me a few minutes ago?" Dean exclaimed. "That spirit is the only thing keeping that girl alive!"

  Cas remained unfazed, however. "The longer spirits remain attached to this world, the more likely they'll turn vengeful."

  Dean blinked. "How the fuck do you know that?"

  This time, it was Cas's turn to look away. "I read."

  He was clearly lying again, but Dean shook it off, deciding to address the matter at hand first. "Doesn't matter. Look. It'll probably take decades for that to happen, right?" At Cas's slow nod, he plowed on. "Yeah well, before that can happen then, Sarah will get better herself, and maybe that'll be enough to make Victoria pass on. Who knows, maybe she's only still hangin' around 'cause she thinks she's gotta keep an eye out on her mate?" 

  Cas tilted his head. "The chances of that happening are low. What if Sarah doesn't get better?"

  Dean swallowed, looking back at the building, as if he could see Sarah through it's thick wall. "You just said that we still have a lot of time before Victoria goes vengeful. Either Sarah gets better and let's Victoria go... or she eventually joins Victoria. Either now or several years in the future." They stood there for a while, Dean still staring at the building, aware of Cas's scrutinizing state but refusing to acknowledge it. And then Dean silently slid the key in his car, unlocking it and getting in. A moment passed, and then Cas joined him. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 27

 

  They were back at the motel room, and the air felt thick and uncomfortable. They hadn't exchanged a single word on the way back, and the silence had continued. The case had left Dean feeling off, and Cas... Dean felt like the man was judging him, and he really didn't know what to make of that. 

  "Are you sure that was a smart decision back there?" Cas's voice suddenly broke the silence, making Dean's hands falter in rolling up a pair of jeans. 

  "What?"

  "Letting Victoria go. Were you absolutely sure that what you did was right, back there?"

  Dean turned around, jeans forgotten, as anger suddenly rose within him. "You questioning my decisions, Cas?"

  But Castiel only stared back at him calmly, hands at his sides as he stood by the table. His duffel bag was already packed and ready to go, but honestly, Dean couldn't actually remember the guy ever even opening it. "I'm not questioning your decisions. I'm asking if you were content with it."

  Dean stared at him, trying to think of an actual response that didn't have him swearing at the man. But when Cas continued to just look back at him evenly, Dean gave in. "Fuck. Fine. I don't know," Dean admitted, sitting down at the foot of his bed heavily with his duffel behind him. "I don't know," he repeated. "If I made the right choice. But to tell the truth man, I never know if I'm doing the right thing." In a rare moment of honesty, he looked up, not meeting Cas's gaze, but instead, staring ahead blankly. "At times like these, I just go with the best option and hope to hell I don't screw things up."

  He heard Cas walk up to him, sitting beside him on the bed. "Are you doubting yourself?"

  Dean shook his head, but then shrugged. "No. But fuck, yeah, there are times when I wonder..."

  He stopped, as Cas laid a hand on his thigh, forcing Dean to look up and meet his gaze. "What you did today, it was the best option. And frankly, I don't think I could have done anything better myself. You should be proud -  _ I’m  _ proud of you, Dean."

  Dean swallowed, for some reason his breaths growing deeper, as his eyes fell to the man's lips just inches away. "I don’t think there’s anyone else I could be prouder of scent bonding with." Cas whispered, his face coming closer. 

  Their lips had just started to brush against each others, when Cas’s words struck Dean like a bell, and he instantly drew back, his face growing stricken as if he’d just been slapped. 

  "What?"

  Cas blinked, his eyes widened as he realized what he just said. 

  "I-"

  "Did you just say  _ scent bond _ ?" Dean sprung up from the bed, looking down at Cas as he stepped back. Cas started to get up as well, but more slowly, his hands raised placatingly. 

  "I was hoping you would know-"

  "Well I fucking didn't! And you knew all this time?" Dean exclaimed, his voice steadily growing louder until he was practically yelling. 

  "I assure you, I didn't come to the realization by myself," Cas tried to explain. "It was only after Gabriel told me-"

  Dean lost it. "Your fucking  _ brother _ knows? And you didn't think of telling me?" He was suddenly standing in front of Cas, before he even knew what he was doing. Horrified, Dean abruptly wondered if all this time, whenever he was close to Cas... hell, even the reasons for  _ initiating _ contact between them... was it all only because of a frigging scent bond?

  "I was going to tell you!" Cas responded, his voice suddenly growing harsher. But as quick as it came, it was gone, and Cas's face melted into something softer. "I just, didn't know how." He was looking pleadingly at Dean, but Dean stepped away again, letting go of Cas's shirt - and when had he even grabbed it in the first place anyway? - and rubbing the back of his neck. His breathing was ragged, and for some reason he felt like his chest was being so tightly squeezed that his heart was aching at the compression. 

  "Right." Dean exhaled, staring brokenly at Cas, before looking away. "Fuck, I'm going to need a drink." He muttered. Cas looked like he was about to protest, when Dean's phone vibrated, the sound like a shrill alarm between them. 

  They froze. 

  "Dean, please." Cas tried, but Dean was shaking his head sadly, his hand already in his pocket. 

  " _ It's been too long, omega. The building by the one you decided to start a bonfire outside of. One hour. _ "

  Alastair knew where he was. And what he'd been doing. Fuck, of course he did, why was it even a surprise?

  Looking up at Cas, he winced as his chest constricted painfully, and wanted nothing more than to just comfort the alpha. Despite knowing the alpha for maybe two months, he had come to understand that the alpha was usually pretty collected with his scent, but right now, he was frigging reeking of despair. 

  However, Dean couldn't trust that. He couldn't be anywhere near any of this shit right now. Honestly, he wasn't even sure that what he was feeling was because the two had just come to be such good friends, a friend that had just been betrayed, and not just because of their scent bond. And because of that, Cas's currently overwhelming smell of the ocean crashing against shore during the peak of a storm was too much for Dean to handle right now.  

  "I need to think about this." He said, his voice gruff. He carefully avoided looking at Cas's face as he swiftly exited the room. His duffel bag was still back in there, but his car keys was in his pocket, and right now, that's all he needed. 

 

oOo

 

  Five hours later, and Dean still needed that drink. Really fucking badly now as well. So he headed to the nearest convenience store, his ass sore and his limbs feeling like they had all but completely abandoned him. He bought himself a bottle of Jack Daniels, not paying the cashier much attention except to skeptically show his fake I.D. to the lanky beta when she requested it for proof of his age. 

  Back in the car, he briefly debated just emptying the thing there, but not willing to risk driving drunk in the constantly traffic congested streets of Northgate at night, Dean absently started driving first, his mind miles away. So it came as a surprise when he found himself at the parking lot of the motel, parked right in front of their room. The lights were on inside, curtains drawn, and the door closed. Not taking his eyes off the window, Dean reached for the bottle beside him, and started to drink. 

  Fifteen minutes later, and a more than decent amount of the bottle gone, Dean clambered out of the driver's seat, bottle still in hand. He knocked on the motel room door, and it immediately opened, Cas's worried face swimming in Dean's vision. He pushed past the alpha, setting the bottle on the table with a heavy clunk, before making his way to bed. Judging by Cas's presence, he must have paid for another night. And if not, well. Dean trusted he'd get the point now. 

  Heh. Trusted.

  "Dean-" He heard Cas start to try speaking, but Dean immediately cut him off, eyes closing as he buried himself in his bed. 

  "Just go to sleep, Cas."

 

oOo 

 

  The alcohol must have really done a number on him, because Dean slept straight through the night without waking once from any of his nightmares. That wasn't to say that Dean didn't have any though. 

  In the morning though, they left straight for a werewolf case Dean had found while Cas was out getting them breakfast. The alpha had come in, Swedish pancakes in a takeout bag advertising the same diner they'd been eating at for the past few days, Patty's Eggnest, and a to-go cup of black coffee in his other hand, offering them to Dean in a clear sign of peacemaking. Dean had begrudgingly taken them, though he still couldn't look directly at Cas. 

  An hour later, they were on the road, driving straight to Montana. Dean's grip was tight on the steering wheel as he stared unwaveringly ahead, and after letting out a sigh, Cas looked out the window. For five hours hours straight, he didn't move once, making Dean start to cringe himself in sympathy of the man's muscles. His neck must be aching by now, but wow, was the man stubborn. 

  With a sigh of his own, the only sound after all this time, Dean pulled up to a nearby exit, stopping at a Gas'n'Sip.  

  Before he got out, he paused. 

  "You want anything?"

  Cas slowly turned to look at him. "No." Dean raised his eyebrows, because seriously, did the guy not get hungry at all?

  "Right, well, I gotta fill Baby up... get me some lime jerky?" It was an olive branch, and Cas knew it, because the next second, he was grinning. 

  "Of course." Dean huffed, but didn't smile back though as he got out of the car. He was being polite because yeah, traveling with a guy you weren't on speaking terms with was hella hard, plus, not speaking to  _ Cas, _ was, well. The scent bond probably made it harder. 

  So yeah, he didn't smile, and he knew Cas understood him when he quietly got out of the car and walked into the store with only a small glance at Dean. But still. When Cas came back with the lime jerky and another cup of coffee that he wordlessly handed to Dean, he still felt like they were making progress. To what, he had no idea. But he could focus on that later. 

 

oOo

 

**_Miles City, Montana._ **

**_Mid August, 2009_ **

 

  Dean grunted as he was slammed against a wall, the werewolf snarling at him. "Cas! Anytime now!" Dean yelled. He straightened himself up, ducking just in time to avoid getting his head bowled off, and punched the werewolf straight in the guts. The werewolf heaved, doubling over and staggering a few steps back, garnering Dean a few precious seconds to look around for his gun. 

  "Aw, sonofa-  _ Cas! _ " He yelled again, louder this time, just as the werewolf started coming at him again. 

  A bang resounded in the warehouse, before being followed by another, and another, and another. The werewolf arched his back, shuddering each time a bullet embedded itself in his back, and it was only after the gun was emptied did the werewolf fall. 

  "Shit, Cas, what the fuck?" Dean asked, staring at the werewolf before turning his gaze to Cas, who was still aiming the gun at its corpse. The look on the alpha's face was downright cold, sending chills down Dean's spine. But his words must have finally registered in Cas's mind, because he let his hand fall to his side, his grip on the gun still tight enough for the nerves on the back of his hand to jump out, before turning around and walking away. 

  Rolling his eyes at the man's exit, Dean set himself up to burn the werewolf's corpse on his own. He quickly doused it in gasoline - after dragging it outside where it wouldn't burn down anything else - and with a flick of his wrist, the match was dropping to the corpse, setting it aflame. Not bothering to watch the body disintegrate, Dean quickly joined Cas in the car. But he didn't start it up yet. 

  "Look," Dean started, looking ahead outside of the windshield. Beside him, Cas shuffled to face him from his seat. "I gotta tell you, I'm still pissed that you didn't tell me that we've - we've scent bonded," Dean stumbled over the word. "Which, I don't even want to know right now how that's possible when I'm already mated," no, he had an unfortunate feeling that he did know, but Dean  _ so _ wasn't gonna address that right now. "But. We can't keep going like this, man." Dean sighed. Smoke was starting to come up from the still flaming corpse, and his eyes tracked its movements as it ascended into the sky. "I mean, I wanna be mad that you didn't tell me something so important, but it's like this frigging scent bond just wants me to always stay close and everything… You asked me if I doubted myself?" Dean abruptly turned to face Cas. "Well, yeah, man. I'm starting to doubt that my actions weren't influenced by my hormones, and that just 'cause we've bonded is the only reason I'm even trusting you right now." He finished, looking pleadingly at Cas, silently begging the alpha to appease him. And shit, yeah, that was his omega self talking alright. Case in fucking point. 

  Cas tilted his head, hesitantly open his mouth. "May I speak?"

  Dean rolled his eyes. " _ Yes _ ." He said exasperatedly. 

  Cas briefly looked out, before visibly forcing himself to meet Dean's gaze. "I admit," he began slowly. "That my interactions, and my wish to continue pursuing meetings with you may have partially been due to our scent bond having affected my senses as well. But Dean," his gaze drew solemn. "Despite all of that, I have still come to admire and be attracted to the man you are, and not just because of your scent." Cas said firmly. 

  Dean exhaled. For some reason, Cas's words were exactly what he needed to hear, even as he felt himself redden at Cas saying that he was attracted to him. "You know," Dean said absently, his gaze growing distant. "If things were different, maybe..." his voice trailed off, but the implications of his statement was clear. He awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to muster up a smile. 

  "But you're right. Man, I didn't know we were scent bonded, and yeah, apart from all that touchy-feely crap, you're a good man, Cas." His smile became a bit more genuine as he looked at the man beside him. "So I mean, I dunno 'bout all the scent bond stuff, but... let's just... take it as friends. Right?" He looked steadily at Cas, waiting for him to respond. After a moment where Cas stared back, making Dean wonder what the hell was going on in the alpha's brain, Cas slowly nodded, his face more or less impassive. But he didn't strike Dean as being too unhappy about the decision.

  "Friends."

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 28

 

**_Topeka, Kansas._ **

**_Early September, 2009_ **

 

  Things... slowly shifted between them. But for all of outwards appearances, it was also still the same. Which was frankly messing with Castiel's head. Whenever the two were talking, Castiel was completely entranced with the man, enraptured with the way Dean spoke and how his hands occasionally gestured to prove his point. And then it would take Castiel a while, but he'd nonetheless realize that even after they stopped talking, they would be looking at each other for a moment to long, sitting or standing far too close to just be friends...

  And yes, that was the main thing that left Castiel's head in a whirlpool of confusions. For all that Dean was the one to ask to be friends, which Castiel would of course, gladly take whatever Dean offered, he was just as likely to initiate their close proximity, occasionally walking into Castiel's bubble himself. For example - when helping Castiel order something or to look at his compiled research... surely there wasn't a need to whisper that close to Castiel's ears what the best type of burger was. But then again, maybe that was just the scent bond at its work, because if it was, then Castiel gladly would blame it on that if he sometimes forgot himself and stood a bit too closely besides Dean when they were investigating their cases. 

  Unfortunately, whenever Dean realized himself - and it was always Dean - he'd quickly jump back and away from Castiel, looking away as if for all the world the wall closest to him was the most fascinating thing Dean has ever seen. He wouldn't speak for a few minutes, the air between them abruptly turning awkward and tense. And it would have stayed that way, despite whatever Castiel did - though he wasn't sure what exactly to do - to dispel it, if it weren't for Dean just as quickly bouncing back, a grin on his face as he pointed out a billboard promoting for two rival lawyers with joy. And Castiel always took it for the olive branch it was.  

  But it was always difficult for Castiel to maintain that carefree composure whenever Dean got that dreaded text from his mate - and Castiel knew it was his mate. What was even more unnerving was that at times, Dean's mate would text him and Dean would disappear for the night, whereas other times they'd have to return all the way to Kansas. It infuriated just as much as befuddled Castiel that he never could find Dean when he was with his mate. He wondered if Dean knew the nature of his mate - as a hunter, there was no way he couldn't have known. 

  They were actually back in Kansas now, between cases. Dean was off with his mate, and Castiel was back at his suite, cooking dinner while simultaneously anxiously checking the time. Dean had left before getting dinner, and it was almost 11 already. He usually returned to Castiel's suite nowadays, and very rarely was he gone for more than a day - three days max. If Dean didn't come back today, then he'd be expected from anytime today to day-after-tomorrow. And Castiel was intent on making sure that there was a meal readily waiting for the omega, fresh and warm. 

  "It's been a while, Cassie-dear." Balthazar leaned against the counter by the stove, staring at Castiel as he stirred a pot of sauce for spaghetti. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were avoiding us."

  "Balthazar," Castiel sighed, looking up apologetically at his brother. "I wasn't avoiding you," Castiel paused, trying to pick through his next words carefully. "Dean has recently started allowing me to accompany him on his hunts. I suppose I've gotten carried away with that."

  Balthazar raised his eyebrows. "Ignoring the fact that he apparently admitted to you of his line of work, I do hope you're careful with your hunting methods, brother."

  Castiel turned off the stove before turning to give his brother his full attention. "Of course I am." But then he hesitated. He might have actually gotten a bit lazier with how he expended his grace - never enough to attract attention from above, of course, but enough that if Dean were to just tilt himself towards Castiel a certain way, then he'd certainly see Castiel's eyes glowing, or catch a glimpse of his wings fading from view. That was actually what Castiel had been doing a lot more often - rustling and shifting his wings so often, but it never worked. All it did was garner a confused look from Dean as he looked around, muttering of how he could have sworn he heard a bird just then despite being in a factory abandoned of pretty much all life forms minus the two of them, or within a victim's pet less house.  

  Balthazar narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're not very good at lying." He stated, and Castiel sighed, giving in. He didn't think he'd be able to ever keep a secret from him or Gabriel anyway. 

  "I told him of our scent bond." Castiel admitted instead. Balthazar's eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline again. 

  "I was wondering if you'd actually do that," Balthazar said, looking impressed. "How did that go?"

  "He wasn't happy." Castiel confessed, lifting his towel to dry his hands - more to give himself something to do than anything else. "Although, for some reason, he was more upset about me having not disclosed that bit of information than the actual matter of the scent bond itself." He twisted the towel with a bit too much force. 

  Balthazar looked at him closely. He hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "What do you take of that?"

  "What do you mean?" Castiel tilted his head. 

  "You know what I mean." Balthazar replied, snapping his fingers. A wineglass started to shimmer into view, of course, filled to the brim with champagne. 

  Castiel sighed, though he was still a bit confused. "I don't know, Balthazar. I guess, it should mean something that he's more disappointed with me keeping something a secret from him than the actual secret itself." Castiel's voice trailed off as he frowned, staring away as he lost himself in his thoughts. If Dean was so upset just because he didn't tell him about the bond... how would he react when - if, no,  _ when _ \- he found out about Castiel being an angel?

  As if reading his thoughts - though he probably did, for all Castiel knew - Balthazar asked him the golden question next. "So if he doesn't want you to keep secrets from him, are you going to tell him about what  _ you _ are?" He took a sip of his champagne, but his gaze was calculated as he stared at Castiel. 

  Castiel didn't meet his gaze, starting to twist the towel again. "I shouldn't."

  "No. You shouldn't," Balthazar agreed. "But, are you going to? After all, you just said yourself. He was more upset about you keeping secrets than the actual secret itself."

  Castiel sighed, letting go of the towel again as he draped it where it belonged - over the oven's handle - as he looked hopelessly at Balthazar. "I don't know Balthazar," he exclaimed. "I don't know what I should do!" He leaned heavily against the over, neatly avoiding the knobs for the fire burners. "Brother... Do you think I should tell him?" Castiel asked. 

  Balthazar raised his eyebrows, inspecting his wine as he debated his answer. "Do what you think is best." He responded. His tone was off though, and Castiel immediately picked up on it. 

  "You don't think I should tell him?" He asked, careful to keep his voice free from any judgmental tones. 

  Balthazar sighed, looking back at Castiel again. "It's not that I don't think you should tell him, Cassie-dear. Like I said. You should do what you think is best. But Castiel," Balthazar straightened, stretching a bit with his wine glass still perfectly positioned in his hand so that not a single drop spilled. "Choose wisely." He started to leave the kitchen, just as their doorbell buzzed, the machine by the elevator lighting up. Balthazar tilted his head towards the sound coming from the main hall of the suite. "And think. Does he truly mean that much to you, brother?"

  He left, leaving Castiel standing in the kitchen, buried in his thoughts while Balthazar pressed a button on the machine, allowing access for the omega they were talking about to come up into their suite. 

  "Hey, man." Dean's voice shook Castiel out of his thoughts. He turned to see the omega, looking as if he had just had to balance the sky on his shoulders. But apart from that heavy weariness, he looked alright. 

  "Dean." Castiel greeted, smiling warmly. "Come, I've made you dinner." Despite being so tired, Dean mustered up a happy grin at that. 

  "Awesome. I'm starving." He came to stand besides Castiel, looking into the pot. "What did you make?" The smell of Dean's mate was pungent on his skin, making Castiel feel torn between enjoying Dean's closeness, for however long it lasted, and shoving the omega into a steaming shower and throwing a bunch of scented soaps after him.

  "I'm working on the spaghetti, but I've prepared the salad-" he grinned at Dean's look of disgust. "-Bread, and some soup until it's done." 

  Dean stared at him. "Dude. There's no way I can eat all of that. You've practically made two meals."

  Castiel shrugged, suppressing the pleased scent his vessel was trying to emanate. "Eat what I've prepared for now. By the time I'm done with the spaghetti, you should have enough space for that."

  Dean shook his head, a wry grin playing at his lips. But there was an almost fond look in his eyes that threatened to take away Castiel's breath, despite the angel not even needing to breathe anyway. "You're spoiling me, Cas."

  His chest didn't rumble with pleasure at those words. But it was a damn near close thing. 

 

oOo

 

  They continued hunting, going through a series of cases that took them through the East Coast. All which ended with Dean being called by Alastair somewhere nearby their case. In the silent moments, Cas fretted over what to say to Dean, how to broach the subject of his true nature to Dean, but of course, every time he tried to muster the courage to say it, things would turn out so differently. 

_ "Dean?" _

_ "Yeah?" _

_ "What do you think of angels?" _

_ "Oh, like the angels from that bar?" Dean whistled. "Really sexy, man." He winked at Castiel. "Why, you wanna go back?" _

 

  Castiel shuddered at that memory, but there was nothing worse than that night when Dean had finally admitted to him about his thoughts an angels - the  _ actual _ beings. 

 

_ "Do you believe in angels, Dean?" Castiel asked, his eyes studiously fixed to a statue of Michael in a church for one of their cases.  _

_ "Not really." Dean replied absently. He was too busy looking around the church for any indications of a connection to the spirit they were hunting.  _

_ "But you believe in every other creature?" _

_ Dean scoffed. "Yeah. 'Cause I've actually seen them with my own eyes," he turned to look at Castiel with a silly grin, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Seeing is believing and all." He joked.  _

 

  And that had been that. 

  Until later that night, where Castiel brought it up again, intent on trying to get somewhere. And unfortunately, it was a lot more successful than that morning, though it may have partially been due to the copious amounts of alcohol involved. 

 

_ "Why're you even so adamant about it man?" Dean shook his head, teeth gritting as he looked away.  _

_ "I apologize-" Castiel began, but Dean cut him off, shaking his head again, but more fervently this time.  _

_ "Don't." He downed his beer, staring at the bottom of it as he traced its rim with a finger.  _

_ "I don't believe in them," Dean began quietly. So quietly, so that Castiel would have missed his words had it not been for his angelic senses. "Because for all my mom believed in them, they did jack squat when she actually needed them. When we  _ **_all_ ** _ needed them." _

 

  It was the first time Dean had spoken about his family, or even his past. 

  They didn't talk for the rest of that night, and when Dean was attacked by his usual nightmare, this time sweating more profusely than ever, Castiel got into his bed without a word, offering him his silent comfort. 

  Of course, it all came to a spectacular head when they went for what Dean thought was a werewolf case, but ended up being their first demon together. 

 

oOo

 

**_Wichita, Kansas_ **

**_October, 2009_ **

 

  Why was Dean the one to always be pinned against a wall? 

  And why - or rather,  _ how _ \- the ever loving fuck did Dean manage to walk into a case involving, not a werewolf, thank you very much, but a fricking  _ demon _ . Who was the one who had Dean pinned currently. And ranting his head off about things that Dean would rather never be said aloud, especially with Cas due to come 'round the corner and save his sorry little ass anytime soon now. 

  Though, he didn't know if he'd rather die than have Cas come in right now. After all, what better way to go for a hunter than goin' down swinging and bloody, right? Better that than dying of the shame and utter humiliation that was coursing through Dean right now, after all.

  Then again, when had luck ever been on his side? 

  "You know.” The demon crooned, running a finger down Dean's jaw. He grimaced, trying in vain to let himself free from the demon's unnaturally strong grip. "I never thought I'd see the day where I got to meet Alastair's mate." the demon was possessing a meat suit of the typical definition of an alpha male - large, brute, buzz cut, and stinking of demon smoke and the alpha's own scent of cigarettes and stale whisky. He let out a dark chuckle, leaning in closer to Dean's face. "I wonder if he won't mind when I taint his bitch."

  "Fuck you, you  _ sonofabitch,"  _ Dean gasped, wheezing as the demon tightened its hold on his throat. 

  "My, my, don't you have quite a mouth on you.” Stale whisky demon hissed. "But I can imagine it being put to a better use." He grinned maliciously, and was just starting to shove Dean downwards, when he heard Cas - fucking  _ finally _ \- yell out. 

  "Close your eyes!"

  He barely had time to process Cas's odd demand, before there was a blast of blindingly white light, and Dean hastened to shut his eyes. But he still didn't miss Cas gripping the demon's head, his palm flat over it as Cas's eyes glowed white, matching the sudden flash emitting from the demon's eyes and mouth, dropped open in shock -

  Dean scrunched his eyes up, trying to tilt his head away from the light, surprised it barely even made a difference. But it didn't stop the sounds of something practically exploding in front of him reaching his ears. And then said ears were ringing with the sudden silence as Dean fell free of the demon's grip, dropping to his knees and almost falling on his side. 

  After a moment, Dean finally dared to open his eyes. The apartment was just as dark as it had been five minutes ago, but now, the demon lay on the ground, black smoking holes where the demon's eyes used to be. 

  His mind went blank. 

  His body felt numb. 

  Slowly, with his eyes trained on the demon, Dean pushed himself upright. He only just managed to look at Cas when he was standing properly, but even then, Dean was still leaning partially on the wall. He didn't think he'd be able to be vertical without it right now. 

  "Cas?" He managed to rasp out, his voice betraying him by sounding weak. 

  Cas was still looking down at the demon's corpse, but at Dean's voice, his head immediately whipped up. His face was apologetic, and it just made Dean feel all the more hollow. 

  "I'm... so sorry, Dean. I meant to tell you sooner."

  The wall was the only thing holding him up now, because Dean's knees weren't working anymore. 

  "Tell me what?" He asked, his voice low and broken. "That-that you're a fucking - that you're some sort of creature?" Dean exclaimed, gesturing to the demon's body. "Who can kill demons with your bare hands?"

  Cas was still looking so morosely at Dean, looking just as broken as he felt. It was the most emotion he'd seen from man yet. But his form straightened, and either Dean was starting to hallucinate from the shock, or there was a faint glimmer of black wings starting to appear behind Cas.  _ Large _ , black wings. 

  "I'm not a creature as you think, Dean," Cas began. "I'm an angel of the lord."

  Dean gaped. "You're fucking with me." He managed to faintly respond, but Cas merely shook his head sadly. 

  "There's no such thing." Dean said, but this time he was talking more to himself then Cas. But his eyes flicked behind him - and yeah. The wings were still there, and a lot more blatant. 

  "Dean-"

  "Don't."

  He held up his hand, stopping Castiel from saying anything else. 

  "I-I can't. I just. Don't." Dean started to walk away, but then stopped, his back to Castiel. He took a deep breath. 

  "Was this all like some plan of yours? First have me literally get fucked by a demon, and then have me get fucked over by some angels?" 

  Clear distress started to radiate from behind him. "No, Dean, no!" Castiel exclaimed, his voice sounding distraught. "Dean, I've always wanted to be your friend, even from before I scent bonded with you, like I told you," Dean flinched at the mention of the bond, and he could  _ feel _ Castiel becoming apologetic for that from behind him. "And I've wanted to tell you about who I am the moment you said we were friends - even from before. But Dean, I promise you, there weren't any plans or anything like that from above to ruin you. If anything, I always just wanted to help you."

  Dean shook his head, refusing to turn around. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but then firmly clamped his jaw shut. But then opened his mouth again. 

  "I don't believe you." He said softly. And then walked away. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 29

 

  Dean's mind and body was on autopilot as he exited the building, and remained so as he unlocked and proceeded to get into his car. When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he turned left instead of right from the apartment complex, not even bothering to check his phone as he automatically made his way back. There was obviously only one person to text him, and being so close to Topeka, he didn't need to check if Alastair sent him a new address. 

  Back at that apartment, when Castiel frigging lit the demon from the insides, making it brighter than a pumpkin gutted for Halloween, he was sure he was hallucinating. But with the evidence so clear in front of him, even he couldn't ignore it anymore. 

  Castiel was an angel. An honest to god, frigging 'Angel of The Lord'. 

  Most likely sent down to screw Dean's life ten times over, because apparently, he wasn't already tightened enough ten more times to Sunday. And he really didn't believe Castiel's words, he  _ couldn't _ . No matter how genuine his pleas were - no. Dean couldn't bring himself to trust another supernatural creature, and especially for it to not have any ulterior motives... it was impossible. God only knew - probably literally - what Castiel hoped to achieve, forcing Dean into a scent bond when he was already  _ mated - to a demon _ \- no less, but Dean had had enough misfortune in his life. And he was damn well gonna make sure that if he saw another speed bump the size of fucking Mount Everest on the road, he was gonna do his best to drive right the fuck around it. 

  No matter how much it physically hurt him to move away so far from Castiel, the literal distance between them increasing the painful contractions in his chest. It was probably only that damn scent bond the angel no doubt forced upon them. 

  So Dean continued to ignore it, until he reached the familiar warehouse. The sight of it never ceased to make Dean sweat with dread, but now... he was too far broken inside to give a shit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd have gotten this in earlier today morning if I hadn't lost track of what day it was since saturday and woke up this morning to realize it was a tuesday and i still hadn't edited this chapter in the gen version... it took me like four hours to finish that but im finally done with that version so hope you enjoyed this one


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Er.. trigger warnings.. like.. serious trigger warnings for explicit scenes between Alastair and Dean in this...  
> if you wanna skip its the first para up to day 2, day 3, and the first part of day 4.. after that it should be okay except for mentioning of it  
> trigger warning for some serious gore though as well
> 
> Ooh btw heres a rough rough rough rough draft of a blueprint to give y'all ideas on how their flat at the end should look like... i sincerely apologize in advance if you cant read my horrible scrawl of a handwriting:
> 
> https://openharborbringontheships.tumblr.com/post/168975968300/runtosleepdreamer-will-someone-be-willing-to

**_Topeka, Kansas_ **

**_One Day Later, October, 2009_ **

 

  The broken shards within him disappeared, or maybe they were still there. Everything felt far too numb for Dean to feel anything inside or out. 

  It was probably for the best, judging the foot long knife Alastair held, dragging it over Dean's hipbone. 

  The demon's nose cringed. "You still smell like angel, bitch."

  Dean didn't react. His head was pulled back by Alastair's grip on his hair, his eyes staring listlessly ahead. 

  Alastair pulled away the blade, only to slap Dean harshly. His head whipped to the side, the sound of Alastair's hand connecting harshly to Dean's skin resonating through the warehouse.

  "Look at me, bitch!" Alastair hissed, pulling at Dean's head again. Dean's eyes slowly slid to Alastair, his gaze still blank. 

  "You will pay attention to me," Alastair hissed, digging the point of the dagger into Dean's hipbone. "And you will forget how your angel ever smelled like."

  He dragged his knife upwards, slicing through Dean's side. His skin was cut open, blood immediately gushing out, and Alastair pressed himself roughly against Dean, soaking up the blood. 

  "Soon, all you'll ever know," Alastair's hands crept down, thankfully free of the dagger. "Is anything," his hand gripped Dean's cock, squeezing it tightly. "And everything," he started stroking with painfully forceful tugs. "That's me." His nails dug into Dean, and the omega let out a low, drawn out groan. 

 

oOo

 

**_Topeka, Kansas_ **

**_Day 2, October, 2009_ **

 

  "Cassie?" Balthazar peeked his head out from Castiel's room. When he saw Castiel standing still in the middle of his garden, looking terribly lost, his face morphed into a look of concern. 

  "I told him." Castiel said without preamble. "Well, technically I didn't tell him," Castiel corrected himself. "I smote an angel in front of him."

  Balthazar's eyebrows rocketed up. He didn’t need to ask to know who Castiel was talking about. "Well, Cassie. Couldn't have done it better myself."

  Castiel sighed, looking at Balthazar with a hint of frustration. But any emotion was far more overwhelmed by the very essence of depression the alpha was radiating. Which was unusual, to say the least. Castiel was usually so close-lidded on his vessel's functionings, that anything that wasn't normally repressed by his angelic status wasn't bothered to be expressed by the angel. 

  Balthazar deflated, wisely putting on a more serious expression as he moved to join Castiel outside on his balcony. "Have you tried talking to him?"

  Castiel reached out to clench the balcony rail, the metal creaking under his grip. "I can't. Find him." He enunciated, gritting his teeth. "His  _ mate _ . Texted him right afterwards. Of course. And then he left. I haven't heard from him since."

  Balthazar frowned. "His mate - the demon Gabriel was talking about?"

  "Yes." Castiel replied shortly. 

  Balthazar nodded, spinning around to lean against the rail that was now behind his back. He raised his eyebrows at Castiel when the metal creaked dangerously with his weight. Castiel didn't look ashamed in the least, though he did let go of the railing, letting his fist swing loosely at his side.

  "So are you going to go after him?"

  Castiel's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I just told you. I don't know where he is."

  Balthazar sighed, rolling his eyes. "When he comes back, you idiot. He'll return from his mate as usual, and if he doesn't come to you, well. I'm sure the moment he's out you'll be able to sense his whereabouts again, especially seeing as I'm betting that you're still trying to look for him right this second."

  Castiel stayed silent, but notably didn't deny it. 

  "So are you going to go after him?" Balthazar repeated. 

  Castiel looked away, fixating his gaze on his bees. "I don't think he wants to see me." He said tightly. 

  Balthazar scoffed. "As if. Cassie-dear, no matter what he says, deep down, he's probably missing you right now. Scent bonds don't happen just like that."

  Castiel swallowed.

  Balthazar clapped a hand against Castiel's shoulder. "Just. Talk to him, brother. Believe me, it'll do you both loads of good."

  He straightened himself, squeezing Castiel's arm one last time before leaving the balcony. It was only after he was out of Castiel’s room that the alpha softly whispered to the air. 

  "I hope so."

 

oOo

 

**_Topeka, Kansas_ **

**_Day 3, October, 2009_ **

 

  "I'll stop."

  Immediately, he had Dean's attention, the omega was gasping loudly, attempting to bring in as much as air as he could into his lungs. There wasn't an inch of him that wasn't covered in blood, and he was sure that his internal organs were pretty wrecked as well. 

  "See, I've got a new little bitch to train," Alastair mentioned, casually twisting his fingers before suddenly pulling in his fingers and forming a tight fist. Under him, Dean's leg dislocated with a  _ pop _ , buckling under his weight. Dean screamed through his gag, pulling at the manacles that held his hands chained to the wall above him. And now, with his leg limp and unable to hold itself upright, much less Dean, without pain shooting up and down Dean’s spine, the chains were the only thing keeping Dean vertical. "Name's Meg. And I want  _ you _ , to train her." He rubbed where his leg met his pelvis, fingers tearing open the skin already cut there wider. Dean moaned. 

  "What do you say?"

  Dean took several shuddering gasps, trying to regain some energy to even mouth out his reply. 

  "Not part of our deal," he managed. "So, no."

  Alastair drew back, looking irritated. "Very well."

  He walked around Dean's body, coming to stand behind him. "Guess you'll have to deal with this until I'm done then. But remember," Alastair leaned into whisper maliciously into Dean's ear. "The offer is out there, if you want out."

  Alastair thrusted his fist into Dean's torn cunt, his fingers splaying out within Dean. 

  He screamed. 

 

oOo

 

**_Topeka, Kansas_ **

**_Day 4, October, 2009_ **

 

  "Unbelievable." Alastair grunted, thrusting rapidly into Dean. "You still smell like the fucking angel." He came with a groan, bending over and resting his head on Dean's shoulder. Tears were sliding down the omega's nose, the saltiness of it making his cuts sting as it made its way down. When Alastair pulled out, not even waiting for his knot to go down, Dean keened, fingers weakly grasping at the metal links above. 

  Alastair walked over to his table, coming back into Dean's sight. He was still fully clothed, a gray button up and black slacks opened to reveal his still hard cock, his entire front smeared with Dean's blood. He picked up a flat blade from the table, inspecting it closely. 

  "Looks like it's time I fix that."

  Alastair walked over to Dean, his blade glinting menacingly in the light. Dean could barely see him, blood dripping down his forehead causing him to close his eyes in order to avoid getting any of it in them. 

  "Like I said," the blade was pressed flat against Dean's torso, the edge pointed towards his skin. "Not even your angel will be able to save you when I'm done here."

  And slowly, Alastair started scraping his blade downwards, pulling the skin free from Dean's body. Pain erupted within the omega, and he let out an agonizing howl anew. Dean tried to pull backwards, but flinched - and then froze - when both actions only served to increase the torturous sensation as the air was exposed to his insides. A long stretch of skin was starting to flip downwards to his legs, and salty tears were pouring down Dean's face. 

  "S-stop," he whispered. 

  Alastair immediately paused, his blade still in place though. "You want me to stop?"

  Dean looked at him square in the eyes. 

  "Well then. All you have to do," he pressed down on the blade, making Dean whimper and groan. "Is say yes."

  " _ N-no _ ." Dean cried out as Alastair grunted in frustration, cutting the skin off evenly.  

  "No?" A bottle of what Dean realized with dread was salt water appeared in the demon's hands, Alastair being careful to keep it away from his own flesh. "Well, fine, then." He upended the bottle over the fresh wound, speaking over Dean's screams. 

  "See if you can take this." He started slicing off another piece of skin right beside the first one extending down Dean's chest, bottle of salt water still in hand. But this time, when he reached his waist, Alastair let go of the blade with a cold smile. It flattered against the floor. 

  "Where's your angel now,  _ darling _ ?"

  With his bare hand, Alastair tore off his skin. 

  Flames ignited at his waist, his toes felt simultaneously as if pins were pricking at it as the blood rushed down and numb. His head blanked out as his eyes rolled all the way up, and his back arched. The sensation of water and blood barely registered in Dean's mind, too busy with the added suffering of the salt mingling with his cut off skin. 

  Dean couldn't take it anymore, he couldn't hold himself back. 

  So it didn't really surprise him, that when he yelled out, it was in the form of a name that escaped his wrecked body, before he lost consciousness. 

  " _ Cas! _ "

 

oOo

 

  Balthazar was correct. 

  Castiel was constantly trying to reach out to Dean, and despite the fact that  _ every single second _ his senses were coming back negative, he was searching again. And again. And again. And when Castiel finally felt Dean call out to him, his senses flared with so much relief that his wings extended, coming into view in the physical plane as he took flight. Castiel immediately rushed to where he felt Dean's presence coming from when he was called. It was only halfway there - only milliseconds later - that Castiel suddenly realized that the call he heard was made with so much pain, his very essence was thrumming not just from the flight, but from the feeling that something was very, very, wrong. 

  And despite all that for a warning, nothing could have prepared Castiel for the sight that greeted him when he landed. 

  All Castiel saw was Dean, bloody and torn - no, being  _ sliced _ off into pieces - and the next second, everything exploded into white light as his grace broke free. Castiel barely registered storming up to the only other presence in the room, reeking of sulfur and hellfire, and smote him without a second thought. Even as the demon's vessel was falling to his feet, a smoking mess already, he was striding to Dean, reaching up to gingerly cradle the omega's face. 

  "Oh, Dean." He whispered, his heart shattering when Dean didn't respond. Castiel could still hear Dean's heart thudding, but very faintly, and far too slowly for it to mean anything good. "I'm going to get you out of here," Castiel promised to the unresponsive omega. He took off his trench coat, draping it over Dean's shoulders before gently trying to hold onto Dean's body as, with a single thought, the chains broke free. "And I swear to you, I will never let you come to any harm again." His eyes watered, though nothing fell - Castiel had never cried, ever, and the tears pooling in his eyes, that in itself wasn't supposed to happen. Then again, what ever went as it was supposed to when Dean was involved? - when Dean moaned as he fell into Castiel's arms. He remained unconscious, which, as much as it pained Castiel to admit, in all honesty was quite possibly for the best right now, Castiel mused. 

  "Never." Castiel promised. 

  Another precious second passed, and Castiel was flying back to his suite, Dean's body carefully cradled in his arms, wrapped in his coat. The warehouse behind him exploded, Alastair's corpse still within as it was destroyed in a blast of white light. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 30

 

  They were back at the suite, in Dean's room. The omega was lying on his back, gaunt, and still out cold. But he was clean from all the blood and wounds. The areas where the demon had cut off his skin were now restored again, not a single crease or scar to indicate anything had been severely wrong in the first place. The moment Castiel had lain Dean down, without even batting an eyelash, he placed his fingers on Dean's forehead, ridding the man of every physical injury he had gained in his overall time with the demon - from years old scars, to new cuts, lacerations, broken bones, torn organs, bleeding passages inside… and all signs of there ever being a mating bite on Dean’s collarbone. No amount of grace could rid a human from a mating bite completely, the mark its own magic that angelic grace couldn’t exceed, but at least Dean wouldn’t be feeling the effects of a broken mark when he woke up.

  All in all, Castiel used up so much grace on the man, that Gabriel had looked at him sadly, but didn't say anything. They knew what was going to happen now, so all they had to do was wait for the repercussions. But even so, Castiel would have done it over and over and over again... if only it didn't mean that Dean wouldn’t have had to go through all he did in the first place. 

  At least he'd be free from any and all signs of discomfort... when he woke up. But as for the mental trauma...

  Castiel sighed, looking outside the window above Dean's bed. He was seated right beside the furniture on a chair, and ever since he had healed Dean, Castiel had firmly grasped on to Dean’s hand, refusing to let go. As though if he did, Dean would be gone again. 

  Castiel held on tighter. He wasn't going to move from his spot until Dean woke up. And if Dean still wanted Castiel gone after all this, then he would gladly be out of Dean's life... but Castiel would never stop looking out for the man. 

 

oOo

 

  Dean woke up eventually. He didn't tell Castiel to leave - though he blatantly avoided all subjects involving anything to do with angels. In fact, he acted as if everything was normal, as if those four days he spent with Alastair had never happened. But Castiel could see past that, knew that whenever Dean thought no one was looking, the fake brittle smile he wore was replaced with something darker in his eyes. Something broken. 

  It tore at Castiel's heart, and he desperately wanted to address the situation to Dean, try to make him talk about something,  _ anything _ , just to help Dean get a start on his mental healing process. But the moment Castiel tried speaking about it, Dean's face would shutter, the omega radiating cold despair, instantly shutting Castiel up. 

  So he didn't say anything. Even when Dean flinched whenever anyone got too close; even when he'd freeze with cold terror if he passed by the kitchen and saw someone wielding a knife; even if he chose to take whatever comfort he could huddling in Castiel's thick, soft, and branded clothes - that Castiel never worn himself but, hey, Balthazar - which was so unlike him, the man always having been proud or at least confident of his physique in jeans, flannel, and leather. Even as the bags under his eyes grew deeper; even as his voice grew more and more hoarse as he screamed himself through the night despite Castiel sitting right by him, only able to hold his hand after he fell asleep; even as he avoided staring at anyone in the eye for too long; even when Castiel caught himself staring blankly at the fading bite mark on his collarbone, Dean’s hoodie having slipped down enough to reveal it, Castiel said nothing. But he always watched closely, his heart being dragged along for the ride, kicking and screaming. 

  Obviously, nothing would just go quietly in their lives for once. And so of course, the repercussions Castiel knew he would have to face soon couldn't have picked a worse time. 

 

oOo

 

**_Topeka, Kansas_ **

**_Late October, 2009_ **

 

  The repercussions came in the form of Naomi. 

  Castiel had been sitting quietly by Dean's sleeping form, Gabriel and Balthazar both out at their shops, when he sensed an angel that definitely wasn't his two brothers trip the suite's alarms. Swallowing, he let go of Dean's hand, using up as much of his grace as he could expend to add to Gabriel's warding for Dean's room itself, before Castiel made his way downstairs. He knew Gabriel and Balthazar would already be there, sensing the angel's presence in their suite, but he also knew Gabriel wouldn't show himself unless absolutely necessary. And who knew if Balthazar would even choose to appear himself?

  So he made his way down the banister, his angelic senses tingling as he made his way through the hallways, on high alert with his blade summoned and hiding up his sleeve. Castiel turned the corner, eyes narrowing and coming to a slow stop when his eyes fell on the beta woman standing in their living room. She was dressed in an impeccable suit, her hair in a perfectly right bun with not a strand out of place. Her back was to him as she looked out the balcony window, and even though he couldn't see her face, Castiel could still sense her distaste.

  "Naomi." Castiel spoke aloud, gaining the angel’s attention. She turned around, a fake smile plastered on her vessel’s face. 

  "Castiel." She took a few brisk steps forward, her hands folded behind her back. "It's been too long."

  Castiel glared at her. "Not long enough." He replied. "What are you doing here, Naomi?" He asked. The  _ how _ was easily explained, what with it being all his fault that he had used up copious amounts of grace that were no doubt easy to trace. But the  _ why _ ... that was something he wanted to hear for himself, from Naomi directly. 

  "Well, Castiel," Naomi looked taken aback, as if she couldn't fathom why Castiel wasn't exactly pleased to see her. "Because you're needed back in heaven, of course. It was so unlikely of you, abandoning your duties like that, when we always thought we could depend on you. It's why you were the head of our garrison -"

  "You never completely trusted me, Naomi." Castiel cut in harshly. "You may not have said it to my face, but it was well known amongst our brethren that Hannah and I were far too alike."

  Naomi wrinkled her nose at the name. "Hannah." She said the name with disgust, before visibly forcing herself to smoothen her features. "You aren't like that sad,  _ pathetic _ excuse for an angel-"

  "She was our sister!" Castiel bellowed, and he let his blade fall into his waiting hand at that. "She was our sister," he repeated, clenching the blade. "And you had her killed just beside she was doing what we were made to do."

  Naomi's eyes fell to the blade. Instantly, all traces of pleasantries were gone from her face, replaced with a cold, even mask. "She was consorting with humans."

  "We were made to protect them."

  "They are below us!" Naomi exclaimed, looking disgusted. But Castiel drew back, his head shaking as he regarded Naomi with pity. 

  "You have forgotten our roles, the very reason for our existence. You see just at the surface level, since we have more power than them, you think we can abuse it. But humans, Naomi, are better than you - better than us!” Castiel beseeched. “They are the ones who give meaning to humanity, their ability to love, and care, and empathize, making them far more deserving of power than we'll ever be." 

  With each word, Naomi's eyes grew harder and colder, until she was outright glaring right back at Castiel as well. "Oh, how misguided you are, Castiel. Come back with me to heaven now, and you'll have a chance to redeem yourself. Force my hand, and you'll face punishment if you ever wish to atone yourself."

  Castiel straightened, his eyes glowing as some of his grace seeped through in his rage. "I am the one who guided Hannah to do what we were supposed to." He lifted his blade. "But you punished her instead of me. Whether I am misguided, or whether I deserve punishment, that is no longer up to you to dole out, Naomi." He crouched, preparing his body into a fighting stance. "I will never come back with you to heaven."

  Naomi sighed, looking resigned. "Very well." She waved her hand, and taken off guard, Castiel was flying, hitting the wall near the elevators with a grunt. With his grace being directed towards protecting Dean, Naomi was definitely the one with the upper hand here. 

  He slowly rolled onto his stomach after he hit the floor, breathing deeply as he spit out some blood. He must have bitten into his tongue a bit too deeply when he was thrown at the wall. The pain wasn't a hindrance to him, but the sensation of blood pooling in his vessel's mouth was admittedly a mild distraction. 

  Not enough to sense that there was another, stronger angel in the room though. 

  Naomi whirled around, looking panicked when her eyes fell on the newcomer. 

  "Gabriel!" She gasped. "But-you-you were missing!"

  Gabriel cocked his head. "Uh, I'm pretty sure I knew where I was, thank you very much. And that's enough if you ask me." Before she could say anything else, he snapped his fingers, and Naomi was slumping down onto the floor, dead to the world. 

  "What did you do to her?" Castiel asked, as he straightened. Gabriel stepped forward, looking down at Naomi. 

  "Oh, nothing. Just wiped her memory, added a few twinges to her va-jay-jay, if you get what I mean." He winked lewdly at Castiel, but his mirth didn't reach his eyes. 

  "Naomi will instantly know something is wrong if she is feeling any of the aftereffects of what a woman would feel after intercourse. She is not even one to engage in those sort of activities." Castiel stated, but Gabriel was smirking. 

  "I happen to have on good intel that Naomi here does indulge in her vessel's needs... with a demon."

  Castiel frowned, unbelieving of Gabriel's words. "A demon."

  "Goes by the name Crowley, your average cross-roads salesman," Gabriel said dismissively. "Don't worry about her though. I'd suggest  _ you _ ,” He waggled his finger at the alpha. “Better get packing, Cassie." Gabriel looked pointedly at him. 

  At his words, Castiel nodded, picking up his blade and stowing it back to a different plane of existence that was accessible only to himself. It was only when he started to make his way to the hallway to go back to Dean's room did he freeze, his blood going cold. 

  Dean was staring right at him, his face blank and expressionless as his eyes took in the view in front of him. 

  "Dean-"

  "So you're all angels." Dean cut in. His voice was raspy, and with his sleep disheveled state, he looked all the more pretty much worse for wear. 

  Castiel deflated. "I... yes." He decided to answer shortly. 

  Dean nodded. "Why do you have to pack?" He asked suddenly. 

  Castiel hesitated. "We're in hiding."

  Dean frowned. "Hiding?"

  Castiel nodded. "I had left my garrison. Without my superiors' approval. And, because of that, they've been sort of on the lookout for me." 

  Gabriel snorted, and Castiel heard him vaguely muttering of angels having separation anxiety. Castiel ignored him. 

  Predictably, Dean asked the question Castiel was dreading to hear next. "Why'd you leave?"

  Castiel fell silent, and Gabriel, who was standing quietly - somewhat - to the side all this time, clapped his hands, garnering their attention. Castiel didn't miss Dean's flinch at the abrupt sound. 

  "Castiel, why don't you and Dean go off to pack - I expect Dean's coming along with us," Dean's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could even open his mouth to speak Gabriel was going on. "I'm going to take care of Naomi here." He made shooing motions with his hands. "Go on, git, you two!" He exclaimed. 

  Dean hesitated, but when Castiel started moving towards him to carry out Gabriel's words, Dean automatically turned to let Castiel pass, and started following behind him. 

  "So...?" Dean edged, but Castiel remained silent until they reached Dean's room. Once inside, he finally turned around to face Dean. 

  "You should sit down," Castiel began uneasily. Dean crossed his arms, unwilling to yield that easily, showing it with a simple look of raising his eyebrows. With a sigh, Castiel ended up sitting first on the chair, looking back up at Dean. "Please?" He tried. 

  Dean's jaw clenched, but he eventually came to sit down on the bed, a good few feet of a distance in between them.  

  "I was the head of my garrison. I led angels into battle after battle, heading into whichever direction my superiors would point in. Against demons, other unruly creatures... against my own brothers and sisters." Castiel paused, looking down at his hands. 

  "Is that how you got all the mad fighting skills with a blade but are hopeless with a gun?" Dean asked hesitantly. Cas nodded, still not looking up. A beat passed before he continued. 

  "I had a sister I was particularly close to. Hannah," he closed his eyes, remembering her vessel's bright eyes whenever she came up to him, looking up to him. "She was very obedient, not one to easily be swayed from any and all commands given to her. But she saw me once consorting with humans when I knew I wouldn't be missed. She had stopped being so admiring of me... but her curiosity wouldn't be abated," Castiel let out a small huff. "She said she wanted to keep an eye on me, to ensure I wouldn't stray from our assigned paths, but over time, I could see that she was also starting to gain an interest towards helping humans."

  Castiel opened his eyes, leaning back against his chair. "I didn't know she had started taking to going off to help humans by herself. But apparently, she had. I was particularly careful, in case I was in the danger of being found out I altered some details to make it seem as if I was punishing humans by causing them small plights. Hannah, however, wasn't as careful. She was caught by an angel. And instead of hiding her actions, she stood up and owned them, claiming the righteousness of her actions." Castiel shook his head, a tight look on his face. "She was immediately sent to prison. We all knew she'd be punished severely, but never to the extent that she had gone through." Castiel swallowed, looking back down as he forced himself to go on. "They tore her wings, stripped her from her grace, before subjecting her to an even longer painful death as a human." He twisted his hands. "That was the final straw for me. Raphael and Bartholomew, two higher angels - have been fighting for complete dominance in heaven. I had been fighting under Bartholomew's name. Despite Raphael being more powerful as an archangel, Bartholomew had more angels under his command, especially seeing as he had me and I had my own army. But after that, and amidst all the commotion of the war, I made my escape." Castiel finished, and he fell silent. 

  Dean's hand suddenly grasped on to Castiel's, and he looked up, startled. He hadn't even noticed when Dean came closer, but now, there wasn't as large of a gap between them now. Dean carefully met Castiel's gaze. 

  "Angels are self righteous dicks, huh?" He asked softly. Castiel managed a small huff of amusement, though he wasn't really feeling it. 

  "Yes. We are."

  Dean's hand tightened on Castiel's. "No," he said, with so much fervor that it surprised Castiel. " _ You _ aren't."

  Shocked into silence, Castiel could only stare, blue eyes piercing into green ones only inches away. He saw Dean's eyes flick down, and he couldn't help but mirror the action, looking at Dean's plump lips...

  "I'll come with you." Dean whispered, bringing Castiel's gaze back to his eyes. It broke the moment, making them lean back a bit abruptly, but only a little. Their hands were still entwined... somewhere, sometime Castiel had brought his hands to hold Dean's within and Dean lay his other hand over Castiel's. 

  Castiel tilted his head. "Where?" He asked, not daring to believe what Dean could possibly be insinuating...

  "Wherever you guys are going. For your next fresh start," Dean cracked a small grin, though his eyes were a bit slower on the uptake. "It's not like I have anything holding me back here anymore." He said. But then his face darkened. "But-"

  "Don't worry about anything." Castiel rushed to put in. He had a feeling he knew what had Dean suddenly rethinking his statement. And he couldn't bear parting with Dean when he was in such a state. "Whatever it is, just tell me, and I'll take care of it for you."

  It took Dean a while, but he slowly nodded. He didn't say anything, but his hands gripped on to Castiel's all the more tighter.

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 31

 

  Moving was interesting, to say the least. It certainly gave a whole new definition inside Dean's head, that was for sure. 

  For example, when they said 'pack', apparently, it had a different meaning for each of the angelic brothers. Gabe brought all his cooking and baking books, but a bunch of other confectionary disappeared when he snapped his fingers, claiming it would appear in his new home. When Dean asked why he didn't do the same with his books, he said that he needed at least something to keep himself occupied during his trip. Balt did pretty much the same thing, using some of his grace to move the more precious artifacts he apparently kept stored in his room - the actual fricking Kohinoor, for example, stating that the one in London was a fake. A very good fake, but a fake diamond nonetheless. The clothes Balt chose to bring with him on hand though, were seriously pushing their limits within each suitcase. For a guy who Dean practically saw wearing nothing but almost the same skin tight V-neck and jeans with a scarf and maybe a coat, he evidently owned a fuckton of branded outfits. 

  And then there was Cas, who used his grace to transport his plants and beehives, but manually brought his own books as well. Dean noticed with a sort of glee that the book on top and within easy reach was Game of Thrones, the bookmark practically in the last chapter. Out of curiosity, Dean had asked why Cas wasn't bringing any clothes, to which he'd gotten a reply of angels not necessarily needing them because they didn't get dirty. Castiel even went on to explain that while because of that he didn't bother with extra clothes, his brothers at least tried to maintain a semblance of humanity by changing their appearance, and hence owning clothes - Balt enough to rival that of a teenage girl. But Dean wasn't paying attention, lost at angels not getting dirty, the idea running around in his head. By the time he pushed it out of his mind, Castiel had fallen silent again. 

  But on the other hand, because they said they already used enough grace and didn't want to expend any more lest they be found again - Cas's face was pointedly blank at this - they decided they were going to use the human way of traveling. 

  And by that, they meant planes. First class. But regardless, planes. 

  Dean immediately backed out, saying he'd much rather just drive instead. After a few moments of deliberation - and arguing, because like hell was Dean leaving his baby behind, and no, he didn't have anything against flights - Cas surprised Dean by saying he'd come with Dean instead. Not that Dean minded, like at all. 

  While Dean was readying his car for the ride, Cas brought another suitcase along with the others that Dean hadn't seen before. Cas wordlessly shoved it into a trunk, neatly placing it between Gabe's and his own, and apart from making sure that it didn't obstruct the trunk from closing completely, Dean paid it no heed. Most of his belongings were already in the car, ready and packed in the duffel as always, so Dean didn't really have to worry about himself. Ronald had already been informed that he'd no longer be staying at the motel - not like he'd been spending most days out of seven there anyway - but the man insisted that it would always be open for him if he were to drop by again. Dean hadn't told Anne yet, but was still deliberating on if he should bother saying anything... and yet, the night before they left Topeka, Dean stopped by the bar. 

 

oOo

 

  "The prodigal son returns!" 

  Dean rolled his eyes at Adam as he swung himself onto a barstool, casting a curious look to a morose looking Charlie hunched over a glass. Despite Adam’s words, there was already a glass of whiskey sitting in front of him, and he took it in hand gratefully, taking a generous sip first before retorting. 

  "Mhm, screw you." Dean managed smartly. He turned to Charlie, cautiously looking her up and down when she didn’t even bother to greet him.

  “Hey?” He said softly, garnering her attention. “Everything okay?” 

  Charlie sniffed. “Yeah, just - Gilda’s out of town, isn’t back yet. I just miss her, I guess.” She sniffed again, taking a drink of whatever it was she was drinking. Taking a sniff of his own, Dean guessed it to be malt liquor, and raised his eyebrows at that, despite the pang of guilt settling in his gut. They weren’t really friends, as much as acquaintances, but… he was still gonna miss this girl as well, and how much she actually helped him with, whether or not they were both aware of it at the time.

  But then Dean sniffed the air again, his eyebrows skyrocketing as Dean look around in surprise. "Is that... Anne?" He asked, his eyes searching the bar. Adam let out a small chuckle, eyes nonetheless worried as he shot a look at Charlie, placing his hands flat against the bar across from Dean. 

  "Yep. She's in the back." He supplied, and Dean turned back, eyebrows still raised. 

  "Damn, I've been gone, what, a week? And she's already-?"

  "Yeah." Adam was wearing a proud grin, and despite that, Dean couldn't help the worry and protectiveness seep through. 

  "Are they good?"

  Anne suddenly appeared, marking her entrance with an exaggerated flap of a spare rag to clean the bar. "He is a very good beta, thank you very much." She replied, looking pointedly at Dean, but he didn't falter. 

  "Hey, just looking out for you!" Dean raised his hands placatingly, but he knew it was clear to the two that he was referring to Anne's ex. And besides, as a fellow omega, Dean was definitely gonna feel obliged to stick up for the bartender, who had also been nothing but sweet to him. Not that he'd ever tell her that, but with what he was here to tell them, maybe he'd need to sweet talk them after all...

  "Yeah, well, you can go shove it, Jimmy. Guy's been nothing but cordial, and yes, even Adam's head over heels for the guy. Would have had a competition too, if Adam here wasn’t with a different goal in his mind." She responded, crossing her arms. But despite her annoyed tone, she had a soft smile barely visible at her lips, showing how fine she was with Dean's... well. Overprotectiveness. 

  Dean let an impressed look brace his face as he took another sip of his whiskey. 

  "So this winner - he got a name?"

  "Mike," Anne responded, turning to grab the whiskey bottle and filling up Dean's glass. "Guy's an absolute sweetheart, came in with a bouquet and downright begged on his first try for a date." She was smiling wide, and Dean could tell that even Adam could see how besotted she looked. And that was in itself enough to settle the matter. 

  "Good." Dean said shortly, downing the rest of his drink and suddenly feeling dour. Maybe he should have just left, but...

  "You okay, Jimmy?" Anne said, looking abruptly concerned as her sole focus zoned in on Dean. He couldn't help but let out a small huff of amusement. Despite the fricking layers worth of blockers he was wearing to avoid anyone here being able to tell the difference in his scent, the damn girl could still see right through him like glass. 

  "Yeah, it's just," he toyed with the rim of his glass, forcing himself to meet Anne's eyes, aware of Adam standing to the side and looking down at him with worry as well. "I'm, uh, moving actually," he raised his hand, absently rubbing the back of his neck and feeling the weight of Charlie’s stare pinning him as well now. "Got a chance for a fresh start, and..." he trailed off, trying to stop himself from needlessly blabbering, but Anne was suddenly looking at him with what looked like a turmoil of emotions. "Anne?" Dean prompted, hesitantly. 

  She blinked, shaking herself before a small grin started to appear on her face. "A fresh start, huh?"

  Dean nodded, a small smile escaping him at her choice of words. "Yeah... something like that."

  She nodded as well, her eyes going soft as her eyes raked over Dean's face, as if this would be the last time she'd see Dean. 

  "Good, that's. That's good, Jimmy. I'm happy for you, really." And then she suddenly turned away, disappearing to the back room. 

  Dean blinked rapidly, trying to clear his eyes as he stared flat ahead. He was so careful to distance himself from people... but he never realized how close he had gotten with Anne - or even Charlie, he realized as he let out a huff when he was suddenly hugged from the side. Not until just right now, when he was hit with the conflicting emotions of Anne walking away making him feel like he just committed a grave mistake and Charlie’s hug on the other hand making him feel actually loved for the first time - in a  _ long _ time. 

  "Hey," Adam called out softly, dragging Dean's attention to him. "Don't worry about her," Adam's eyes flicked to the door behind which Anne disappeared to, before looking back at Dean. "It's just... you know how she feels about... you know, people leaving."

  Oh, shit. 

  "I'm not gonna be gone forever," Dean said abruptly, making his decision on the spot. "I'm definitely gonna come by every now and then." He said, with firm resolution. 

  “Good.” Charlie’s voice cut in, muffled from still being pressed against Dean’s chest.

  Adam nodded at Charlie, giving Dean a sad smile. "Yeah, and she'll be happy for that. So, don't mind her. Give her a few minutes to come back out and give her a proper goodbye." He smiled a bit more firmly at Dean, topping up his glass again before pushing himself away from the bar, glancing at another customer who was signaling at him. 

  "And Jimmy, try not to screw up your 'fresh start'."

  Dean let out a small smile, starting to hug Charlie back. Giving himself into the hug, he let out a deep exhale, relishing in the comforting touch without worrying about any panic attacks, the stark contrasting scent of omega too blatant for that. A few minutes later, she let him go, smiling up at him, though there were tears in her eyes. 

  “This ‘fresh start,’” Charlie began. “It’s gonna make you happy?” She asked.

  Dean took a moment to actually consider that question. Flashes of Cas passed through his mind, and an image of the alpha’s usually expressionless face cracking a small smile at Dean was enough of an answer. “Yeah,” He answered truthfully, feeling elated by the freedom it seemed to bring. “Yeah, it will.” He felt reassured by his own answer, and it seemed to do the truth in convincing Charlie as well.

  “Good.” Charlie said, nodding her head resolutely. “That’s good.” She cracked another smile, starting to settle back in her seat. “I’m gonna miss you at the lab.” 

  Dean huffed, playfully nudging her shoulder. “Well, you are a computer genius. I’m sure you’ll find several ways to make sure you won’t let go of me that easily.”

  “Damn right I won’t!” Charlie raised her glass at that, clinking it with Dean’s when he raised his own. They took a sip of their drinks, Dean’s gaze falling back to the door, his gut sinking again. He’d decided to follow Adam's words and wait, though it didn’t stop the worry from churning his guts. Drinking his whiskey, it must have only been five minutes more before Anne appeared again, her face red and damp as if she had just washed it after a crying session. At the sight, Dean immediately stood up, and ignoring everything else, walked over to the other side of the bar, grabbing a very surprised Anne into a hug. At first, she stiffened, but within seconds she was collapsing against him, silent as she hugged him back. 

  "You be good now, alright?" Dean heard Anne say, despite her words being muffled against his jacket. He exhaled, resting his chin against the top of her head. 

  "Yeah. You too." He answered gruffly, and he knew Anne was smiling at that. He couldn't let go though, something nagging at him so hard that it was getting to him. 

  He let her go after a few more minutes, ducking his head down to let her peck at his cheek. He took a step back and simply took in the sight of the blonde omega. Despite being saddened by the news of Dean's departure, there was something more... happy about her. Something lighter and... carefree, almost. 

  With a pang, Dean realized it must have been because of the person she met, Mike. Though there wasn't any new mating marks visible on her, her scent was already starting to alter slightly, most likely blending with her True Mate’s. 

  "I need to tell you something." He swallowed, nervous as Anne looked at him curiously. 

  "Today's a day full of surprises or something?" She asked, and Dean grinned tightly at her attempt. 

  "I, uh. My name's not actually Jimmy." He started, internally cringing as he waited for the inevitable crash. 

  Anne's eyebrows shot up... but she didn't look surprised. "I figured." She eventually replied, her voice quiet again, taking Dean by surprise. 

  "You... knew?" He asked, dumbfounded yet skeptical. 

  Anne grinned, though it didn't meet her eyes. "C'mon, give me some credit. You didn't look like a Jimmy, and there were times when you weren't familiar with your own name. Not to mention the fact that not once did I hear the name Jimmy being thrown around that day when your friends were here," she shrugged, her smile fading. Dean's heart gave a painful pang. 

  "Listen, Anne, there's a reason I didn't say anything-" he took a step forward, but Anne was already shaking her head, an understanding smile forcing its way on her lips. 

  "No, I get you. I do," she insisted. "Man comes in, looking haunted and often disappearing and mostly keeps to himself, despite the fact that he's a frequent customer, but still, to a bar nonetheless." Anne's face turned sad. "I had a feeling you were running from something, so I didn't want to push. It hurt, that you never told me... but like I said. I didn't want to push." She finished softly. 

  Dean inhaled sharply, unable to do anything but stare. Finally, he cleared his throat. "My name is Dean Winchester." He rasped out. A moment passed, but then Anne's face broke out into a far more genuine grin. 

  "Nice to meet you, Dean Winchester." She let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Dean. The name suits you far better than 'Jimmy'."

  Dean smiled back, suddenly feeling a lot lighter as he took a step back. "I've gotta go... but I'm gonna come visit." He said, truthfully. "If you want me to," Dean added, suddenly feeling unsure, but it changed to relief when Anne's grin grew larger and genuine. 

  "You better, cowboy. Ain't no one else 'round here that finishes up our whiskey as well as you do."

  Dean laughed, throwing his head back and feeling considerably lighter now. 

  "'Course." With that, he nodded back at her, withdrawing his wallet, but then pausing when Anne shook her head. 

  "On the house." She shot him a look, and deciding not to argue, he put his wallet back into his pocket.

  "I'll see you 'round, Anne.” He said softly, before raising his voice. “You too, Adam, Charlie." He nodded at the each of them respectively, looking at them over Anne’s head. Adam paused in his ministrations of making a customer their drink to wave back at Dean, whose grin grew larger when Charlie raised her hand in the Vulcan salute.

  Anne grinned at the gesture, shaking her head almost fondly. "See ya, Dean."

  Dean swallowed, and turning on his heel, he exited the bar. He didn't look back, and when he got into the car, he gripped the steering wheel tightly, looking straight ahead. 

  "Everything alright?" Cas asked softly from beside him at the passenger seat. Without looking at him, Dean let out a terse nod, before exhaling and slowly forcing himself to relax. 

  "Yeah," he replied, giving himself a few more moments before he let his right hand fall free from the steering wheel to turn on the car. "Everything's fine."

 

oOo

 

  The next day was their the last day in Kansas, literally three days after the Naomi incident. The group of four - Dean and the angelic brothers, and wouldn't that have been a killer band name - left in Dean's car to the airport, their plans to drop Gabe and Balt off first. 

  And then, after that, it was just the Cas and Dean. 

 

oOo

 

  "You do have a fear of flying, don't you?" Cas asked, not soon after Dean left the airport. Dean rolled his eyes. 

  "Flying deathtrap piece of metal, it's totally logical to want to preserve my safety." Dean retorted. 

  "You're a hunter. You put your life in danger on practically a daily basis." Cas replied dryly. 

  "Monsters, I can have control of. And no matter what you say, I’m still not getting on that piece of junk. And no - don't get started on the damn statistics!" Dean exclaimed, when he saw Cas open his mouth to protest. Cas shut his mouth again, though he did shoot Dean a begrudging look. 

  They fell silent, Dean enjoying the wind rushing in from the open windows and being once again out on the open road after what felt like so long. It was perfect, the scenery of the highway zooming past, his Baby's engine rumbling under him... and the alpha beside him smelling like the calm ocean. His scent grounding him, Dean let it lull him to an absent minded state, not really much paying attention to his driving anymore as he just took in his surroundings with his senses. After weeks, his life finally felt calm and stable - as stable as a hunter's life could get - albeit stable nonetheless, for Dean anyway. So he was damn well gonna enjoy it for as long as he could, before things inevitably went to hell again. 

  "You're running out of gas, Dean." Cas observed, abruptly breaking the peaceful silence between them. 

  Dean hummed, his eyes flicking to the meter. Sure enough, he was running rather worryingly low. 

  "You should probably refill the tank soon."

  With a roll of his eyes, Dean merged on to the next exit, glancing at Cas out of the side of his eyes. 

  "Happy?"

  Cas frowned. "I don't necessarily see what this has to do with my happiness, seeing as that it will end up being your fault if the car stops in the middle of our trip and delaying our arrival even further."

  Dean gaped. "Wow, Cas. Didn't think you'd be the type to dislike long drives." He said, turning on the indicator. "Besides. I already have an extra tank in the back - I always do."

  Cas shrugged. "I don't dislike long drives. I was just worried about you."

  As Dean pulled up to an empty station, he looked towards Cas, not sure he was gonna be happy about where this was gonna go. "Worried about me?" He repeated. They were now parked, and with the car turned off, he turned to give the other man - angel, whatever - his complete attention. 

  "You were silent the entire drive, Dean." Cas stated dryly. "Forgive me if I couldn't help but think something was wrong."

  "Dude, seriously?" Dean asked, a tinge of bewilderment coloring his tone. "Man, I was just enjoying the ride!"

  He heard Castiel let out a small sound of understand as he got out of the car. 

  "I apologize. I must have misunderstood." 

  Dean snorted. "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." He muttered, but he managed to shoot Cas a good natured smile just in time as he bent down to look through the window anyway, to show that he wasn't taking it seriously. 

  He paid for the pump, feeding it into his car before he ducked down to look at Cas through the open window. 

  "You wanna get something to eat? Maybe stretch your legs..." he trailed off, hoping Cas would get the hint. But Castiel frowned. 

  "Angels don't really require food." He stated. Dean blanched. 

  "So all this time you've been eating with me-"

  "To maintain my cover as a human." Cas replied hesitantly. Ignoring the sting of that, Dean pushed on. 

  "What about Gabe? Guy practically can't be seen without a candy bar."

  Cas shrugged, looking thoughtful. "He's always had a sweet tooth. But as far as I know, he's the only one." 

  Dean raised his eyebrows. "So you only have to eat for the taste?" He asked, trying to clarify, but Cas quickly shook his head. 

  "I don't know what Gabriel finds in the sweets he consumes. But for me, all food tastes like a bunch of molecules intricately combined to perhaps form something complex, which would translate as what you humans taste. To myself, it's just a lot of molecules." Cas explained. "I might be able to overlook it enough to maybe get a hint of what it should taste like, but frankly, that requires far too much concentration. Which while I have, I still find it needless."

  Dean let out a low huh. "And yet you still ate." He stated. Cas didn't reply. Finally, Dean rolled his eyes. "Ok, that's cool and all, so why don't you get me something, then?" He asked. 

  Cas frowned. Before he could say anything, Dean pushed on. "Hey, I gotta pay the pump!" He exclaimed. 

  With a scrutinizing look that was a bit too intense for Dean to be comfortable with, Cas finally got out of the car, slamming the door shut. 

  "Is there anything in particular you require?" Cas asked, disinterestedly. 

  "Jeez, Cas, way to make yourself sound so enthusiastic." Dean muttered, before raising his voice. "Beer - and pie!" He widened his eyes as he looked at Cas over the roof of his car. "Get me some pie!" 

  Looking vaguely amused now, Cas obliged with a nod, heading into the store. 

  "Love me some pie." Dean muttered after Cas’s form.

 

oOo

 

  "Hey, Cas," Dean suddenly spoke up, his mouth full from shoveling cherry pie in it. "Tell me something." He began. But then paused, unsure as to how to continue. 

  "Yes, Dean?" Cas prompted. Dean viciously stabbed his pie with his fork, leaving it there as he placed both hands on his steering wheel. 

  "When you, uh, kinda went all raining fury on the demon at the apartment," Dean muttered, keeping his eyes straight ahead. His hands clenched on the steering wheel, and he knew Cas's eyes traced the movement. "And actually, even with, uh, Alastair," his voice dropped lower, till he was practically mumbling the words into incoherent sounds. But Cas was still looking at him intensely, seemingly understand every syllable coming out - or not coming out - of his mouth. "There were like these, wings showing behind you." He clamped his mouth shut when Cas suddenly frowned. 

  "You saw that?" He asked. Dean glanced at him before flicking his eyes back to the road. 

  "Uh... yeah?" 

  Cas shook his head. "Sorry, no, I know my wings tend to appear on this physical plane when I either lose control - which is admittedly a very rare occurrence - or when I'm using an excessive amount of energy to smite a creature-"

  "I'm guessing both times were because of the latter?"

  Cas shot him a strange look, shifting uncomfortably, but he went on as if Dean hadn't said anything. "It's just, I didn't know you noticed it... back in the warehouse." He admitted reluctantly. 

  Oh. "Yeah, well I did." Dean pushed on gruffly. "So? You actually have wings?"

  Cas repositioned himself so he was angled more towards Dean rather than straight ahead. "Yes. We all do, though I guess it looks different for each angel. Archangels, like Gabriel for example, have much larger, grander... more unique, wings." 

  Dean hummed, a bit disinterestedly at that. "What about you?" He asked with more enthusiasm. Cas raised an eyebrow. 

  "I am a Seraph. Seraphs are noticeable for having six wings, which is more than any other Angels. It's not as large as an archangel's-"

  "But it still sounds pretty damn cool." Dean cut in, shooting Cas a pointedly impressed look. 

  Cas looked at Dean oddly, as if he couldn't fathom his words. "...Thank you."

  Dean grunted in reply, looking back to the road. 

  "Hey, Cas... you think I could ever see those wings of yours?" He asked, only half joking. But Cas shot him a winning smile. 

  "Of course, Dean."

  Shocked, Dean fell into silence again. Cas didn't bother saying anything else either, but this time there was a small smile playing on both of their lips as Dean drove on. 

 

oOo

 

**_Buffalo, New York_ **

**_November, 2009_ **

 

  Dean let out a low whistle when Gabe let them into their new apartment - that took up the entire floor apparently - stepping in after Cas. 

  "Man, you sure this is big enough?" He asked sarcastically. 

  From the living room, staring at the TV remote quizzically, Balt looked up to shoot Dean an unimpressed glare. "It's not the best, but it'll have to do. Even if these classic sixes are supposed to be hard to find." He said, almost regretfully. 

  "As if something being difficult to obtain has even been a challenge for you." Dean heard Cas mutter in front of him, and couldn't help but snort at that. 

  Balt looked at Cas in mock disdain, but went on. "But hey! You guys will have your privacy! In fact, if you need anything, Gabe's a floor up, and I've got the one below you guys."

  Dean blanched. "You... rented out three floors?" He asked doubtfully. Balt let out a scoff. 

  "Rent? Oh, please. We own this building."

  Dean stared. "Right. 'Cause that's totally an everyday thing."

  Balt winked, smacking the remote harshly against his hand, and this time when he pressed a button, the TV turned on. With a cry of victory, he fell back on the soft, curved, grey couch, aligned neatly with the matching curved TV - of course it was going to be expensive - against the opposing two walls, switching through the channels. It was perfectly positioned so that none of the light coming through the window adjacent to the main door actually fell on the TV. 

  "Right." Dean repeated. A thought suddenly struck him. "Hey, if you own the building, why are we only occupying three of the floors?" 

  Balt snorted. "Who said we’re occupying only three? I'm converting the rest of the floors below into a museum - gotta keep the money flowing in somehow - and Gabe's got the first floor for his new bakery."

  "Your museum takes up... what... eight floors?"

  Balt let out an exaggerated groan. "Don't remind me, I've barely got any space!" He complained. Dean stared. 

  "I... really don't know if I believe that or not."

  "You better believe it, Dean-o. Displaying authentic magical and-slash-or historical objects for the general public with proper security isn't easy business."

  "Yeah, okay. I'm leaving now before you manage to rope me into something that'll have the police biting at my ass." With that, Dean turned, looking around the rest of the apartment, taking in the dining room opposite the living room, with the balcony doors leading outwards to a deck beyond that. Further into the house, beyond the dining room, was the kitchen, where he found Gabe studiously scrutinizing a cookbook as he whisked some batter rapidly in a bowl. 

  "Cas is at the back outside fixing his beehives, buddy." Gabe said, without looking up, and missing Dean's eyebrows skyrocketing. 

  "Remind me again why we're sharing?" 

  This time, Gabe looked up, his hand coming to a slow stop. "Because your floor has a better deck." He stated simply, as if Dean should have already known that. "Anyway. I've got to hurry up and bake my first batch - how does pistachio and cardamom brownies sound?"

  "Uh," Dean looked around their kitchen, taking in all the items strewn across the counter. "This for your shop?" There was definitely enough stuff out to look like it was for Gabe's shop. 

  "What? Pssht, no!" Gabe exclaimed, looking affronted. "It's a housewarming gift!"

  "To... ourselves?"

  "Hey, it ain't a sin to indulge, is it?" Gabe asked, his eyes twinkling. Conceding, Dean shrugged. 

  "Nah, it's not... and yeah, I guess they sound good," he replied. "I mean, you've yet to disappoint me." Dean winked mischievously. 

  "But, hey, what about your store back in Topeka?" Dean asked, curiously. Gabe thoughtfully licked at some batter, blinking at the taste. 

  "Too salty. And Gary's looking after it, big promotion and all that so that things would run smoothly. Kid is certainly smart enough to make sure it does, though I'll get back to you on his wisdom." 

  Dean blinked, before deciding it was probably better if he just left Gabe to his work. But then he paused, his back to Gabe. "Outside?" He asked shortly, head tilted towards Gabe. From the corner of his eye, he saw the archangel cast him a knowing grin. 

  "Yep."

  Turning around, he made his way back to the dining room, putting the hallway leading to the bedrooms behind him. As he passed by the small room that they were currently using for all the rest of their unpacked boxes and for now, both Cas's and Dean's luggage - and that suitcase Cas had shoved in at the last moment -  he glanced to the back of Balt's head, eyebrows zooming up when he noticed what exactly he was watching - before turning back carefully step around the dining table to get to the balcony doors.

  "Your brothers unpack quickly." Dean mentioned, when he stepped outside. And then blinked. "And so do you." 

  The balcony had an expanse that stretched along the entire side of their building, and a good portion of it was already covered in plants, sectioning off the beehives further along the balcony, practically a mirror image of their previous suite. 

  "Our grace took care of most of the moving procedures, remember?" Cas asked, not bothering to look up from carefully repositioning a plant, continuously glancing to the sky as if to gauge where the plant would get the correct amount of sunlight. 

  Dean squinted against the aforementioned evening light, leaning against the balcony rail. 

  "Huh. And you guys didn't use up too much..." he trailed off uncertainly, but the worry in his tone was enough to provide the rest of the meaning for Cas to figure out what he meant, as he straightened up with a soft smile directed at Dean. 

  "Of course not. It may seem like a lot, but this was very easy for Balt and me to cover up any traces."

  Dean hummed, smiling back at Cas. Dean kept his eyes on the angel, watching Cas work, spending and dedicating time for each individual plant before moving on to the next one. As Cas moved on, Dean absently rubbed at his chest, as if to soothe the weird sensation tingling within him, though he didn't seem to mind it for some reason.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW should have done this for the other chapters but in case you decided to skip, basically what happened was, Alastair torturing Dean, with the offer that if he wanted the torture to stop, all he had to do was say yes to torturing another one of Alastair's (insert derogative cuss word starting with the letter 'B')...  
> keep this scene in mind though..
> 
> On another note - Eeeep! classes have begun and while i will do my utmost best to keep sticking to posting on time, just a fair warning for y'all that i may also post later on Tuesdays more frequently, which might mean its already way into Wednesday for some of yous...


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for implied non con i guess?

Sweet Stop - Chapter 32

 

_   Flashes of light - bright, white and yellow, streaks of black - voices and noises - so many noises - nothing made sense - and then - _

_   "Will you seal the deal?" _

_   "You won't go back on your terms?" Everything was the same, again and again but this time - _

_   "Oh, but darling, you went back on your terms!" _

_   No.  _

_   And then it changed -  _

_   "I knew it." Disappointed eyes, flashing black, red, no, bleeding red - "I knew you'd always just be a mere omega. You should have manned up - but no, you couldn't take it-" _

_   "Man up and act like an alpha, goddamn it - do you wanna live and die a slut, Dean?" Rage turned blank, as blank as in those moments - _

_   -"Yeah, Dean, it's true." So matter-of-fact, those eyes again. "Because that's all that'll ever matter to you and everyone around you - you being an omega. I mean, that's what it came down to, right?" _

_   "It's all you'll ever be worth for, my darling. Omega. Bitch!" _

_   "The deal-" _

_   "Of course-" _

_   "It's broken-" _

_   "No!" _

_   "You will pay-" _

_   "-And so will he-" _

 

  Dean woke up, screaming but not a sound reaching his ears as he threw himself off his bed, gasping as practically fell against the window, clumsy, still tired from disoriented from being abruptly woken up. Sweaty fingers were trying in vain to open the window. Dean immediately flinched away when fingers that weren't his own came into his vision, calmly unlatching the window and pushing it open. 

__ Ignoring the presence by him, Dean pushed himself as far outside as he could, head hanging low as he took in deep, heavy breaths. A drop of liquid dripped down his nose, and it took him several long moments to realize it was a teardrop. It was quickly followed by several more in quick procession, but Dean did nothing to acknowledge that, too focused on trying to get his breathing under control. 

__ It must have taken minutes, but finally, when the blood wasn't quite rushing through his ears and rendering him practically deaf, that's when Dean could hear Cas softly whispering from behind him.  

  "-’re awake. You're fine. I'm right here…”

  He must have been repeating the same words, over and over again. Either way, the low voice of the alpha was apparently all Dean needed, because he soon managed to push himself upright. Still facing the window, he roughly wiped away the tears, before grabbing on to the window sill tightly. 

  "I made a deal with a demon named Lilith." Dean said, his voice rough. Cas fell silent behind him, not saying anything, but it was good enough to let Dean continue. 

  "I had - have - a brother. They knew about him and started playing around - taunting me about what they were gonna do to him. So I told her to take me instead. And she did, playing me like a lab rat, and when she was satisfied with the results of our deal - with me getting the shorter end of the stick, of course - she handed me off to Alastair."

  Dean paused, swallowing heavily. "That was the deal. Be Alastair's bitch if I didn't want them to lay a finger on Sam. I was practically at his mercy, at his fucking beck and call. And god knew if I didn't come they'd immediately go back on their words. They wouldn't have spared a single thought on hurting Sam."

  Dean blinked, tears falling down his face again. 

  "And now, I'm fucking worried man. I mean, I'm thrilled and all that Alastair's gone for good - hell, I'm fricking  _ ecstatic _ . But if Lilith decides this counts as breaking the deal then…” His voice broke, his heart physically hurting at the thought of Sam in danger. Fuck, he could be getting torn apart by those demons right now, and Dean was just fucking  _ standing _ here -

  "Dean." Cas's calm voices cut through his thoughts, and he immediately found himself turning, his eyes looking brokenly at Cas's, and yet daring himself to let hope fill him at Cas's collected state. 

  "Don't worry about your brother. Gabriel and I have been keeping an eye out for Lilith ever since we found out about her - she has yet to resurface from the depths of hell. And now that you've told me about Sam, we will keep an eye on him as well. Don't worry, Dean." Cas was still so stoic, but by his last few words, his demeanor melted, turning into something softer as Cas dared to take a step closer, looking deeply within Dean's eyes. But Dean was frowning, going over Cas's words when - 

  There was a soft rustle as a breeze came in through the open window, and while almost wanting to instinctively dismiss the sound as a bird - the noise was coming from within the apartment - from right in  _ front _ of him. Dean's eyes moved to a few inches above Cas's head, and -

  Holy. Motherfucker. 

  Wings. That was all Dean could conjure for a thought at first. And then,  _ Cas has fucking wings. _

  "Dean?" Cas looked at him with worry, jarring Dean to reply. 

  "Your... wings," Dean whispered, entranced. "I can see them."

  Despite the darkness, with the moonlight coming through the window and his eyes already well adjusted to the dark, Dean could make out six wings stretched out in all its glory, gently curving towards Dean. They were black, and yet shining and even glinting in the faint light, though the feathers looked so soft that Dean's hands were itching to run through them. 

  "Ah, yes," Cas said, looking embarrassed. His wings suddenly pulled away, and he started drawing them closer to his back. 

  "Wait!" Dean exclaimed, his hand shooting out to reach for the wings. Cas froze, looking at Dean curiously as Dean swallowed. "Can I... uh, touch them?" He asked, but then dropped his hand, suddenly feeling very stupid for asking. But then Cas was starting to smile again, that soft smile that Dean could only remember being directed at him. But he was shooting Dean with a strange look that he couldn't really identify, making Dean feel torn about wanting to go ahead. But then Cas gave his acceptance anyway. 

  "Of course."

  Cas's wings were expanding again, stretching out and coming closer towards Dean this time than before. With slow movements, Dean reached out, his fingertips grazing the wing first. He exhaled, feeling the soft feathers quiver under his touch as he stroked the wings, his movements steadily becoming more confident until he finally dared to press his entire palm firmly against the wing, feeling the strong muscle pulse underneath his hand. 

  "I heard you screaming," Cas suddenly said, his voice low and eyes closed. Dean froze, his hand flat against Cas's wing. "And I rushed in here as fast as I could. Seeing you like that," Cas sighed, his head tilting backwards. Dean started dragging his hand against Cas's wings, his fingers threading through the feathers and burying themselves into the deep, plush expanse of it. "I don't know. I didn't want to see you like that... my wings must have come out in my urgency to appease you... they're attuned to my emotions, I'm sure I've told you. For angels, letting out our wings like this is typically a sign of comfort." Cas breathed out deeply through his nose, his head completely tilted backwards and exposing his long neck. Dean traced the skin with hungry eyes, his fingers gripping into Cas's wings harder as his own breathing became heavier, stepping closer so that he could lift a shaking hand to Cas's neck… 

  Cas's eyes snapped open, his pupils so heavily dilated that his irises were barely seen. And even then, it was starting to change from it's usual blue - albeit what could be seen of it was glowing more than usual, as if he was using his grace - to slowly being overcome with the threads of red appearing in it. Cas's hand snapped up, thunder and lightning hitting Dean's nose full blast as he fisted Dean's shirt harshly, his breathing ragged as Dean's fingers traced Cas's neck, starting from the base between his collarbone before pulling up to circle his Adam's apple, his nail catching roughly on the stubble as it went up, up, up, until he was lightly tracing Cas's bottom lip...

  " _ Dean _ ." Cas breathed out. 

  Dean blinked, freezing. 

  Abruptly, he was pushing himself backward, letting go of Cas's wing and jaw as his back hit the wall by the window, wincing as the edge of the windowsill hit Dean's hip. His teeth were grinding against each other so hard, it was a surprise that they hadn't already cracked under the pressure. 

  "I can't," Dean panted, gripping into the window sill and wall behind him as he tried to ground himself. " _ I can't." _

  "Dean-" Cas tried reaching out to him, concern erasing any hints or arousal coming from his scent before. 

  "No." Dean shook his head, refusing to look at Cas as tears yet  _ again _ pooled at his eyes. "I just... I can't." He exhaled harshly, looking studiously at the floor, until eventually, despite both their hearts tearing at the action and unknown to the other, Cas left the room. 

  Dean slumped to the ground, his face wet. He refused to cry, but he still pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his face into it as he let the tears fall freely anyway. 

 

oOo

 

  Dean didn't go back to bed for the rest of the night. But he couldn't bring himself to exit his room either, too fearful of the possibilities to run into Cas outside. So he stayed hunched up in the same position, against the wall and under his window. When the sun rose, its rays streaming into his room, Dean finally lifted his head, bleary and tired as he stared blankly at the wall across. Minutes passed before he finally pushed himself up. He now felt too weary and numb to bother thinking about Cas, so he left his room to directly enter the bathroom. 

  Dean rinsed his face, feeling marginally more alert, but he still avoided his reflection in the mirror as he prepared himself for breakfast, lingering for as long as he could before, with a sigh, he finally came out. Despite the short walk to the kitchen at the beginning of the hallway - with his room all the way at the end - his senses were on high alert for Cas. He hadn't heard any sounds coming from Cas's rooms when he passed by it, but that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't in there. Yet, he didn't encounter Cas once during the time he stayed as he looked around to get himself a bottle of beer, breakfast to be obtained after. A beer bottle later though, Dean gave in. 

  He came out of the kitchen, glancing at the living room as he strode to the dining room, circling the dining table before coming to a stop at the balcony doors. The doors were closed, preventing the decreased temperature from seeping into their house, but they were unlocked. Readjusting his hold on his bottle, Dean pulled the door open, closing it behind him as he stepped outside. 

  Cas still wasn't anywhere in sight, but Dean walked past the plants anyway, heading towards where the bees were kept, far enough to be visible from Cas's bedroom window. Sure enough, Cas was standing there, quietly staring at the beehives. His somber expression tugged at Dean's heartstrings, and Dean found himself clearing his throat before his mind even caught up with his actions.  

  "Hey."

  Cas tilted towards him, but he didn't look at him. He was dressed in his usual suit, minus the coat, and his wings were nowhere in sight. Dean refused to think of how much that seemed to disappoint him. 

  "Dean." Cas replied in a form of greeting, his voice low and gruff. 

  Dean sighed. 

  "Why don't you come back inside, man? It's getting cold out here." True enough, late autumn air was chilly against his bare arms and legs, and Dean had to switch hands on his bottle to avoid freezing his fingers completely. 

  "Angels don't feel the cold." Cas replied, almost absently. He still wasn't looking at Dean, and with another sigh, Dean pushed himself forward, coming to step so close to Cas that he was almost within his personal space. Despite the unease crawling at his skin because of the close proximity, Dean forced himself to meet Cas's eyes when the man finally looked back at him in surprise, prompting Dean to speak. 

  "Look. What happened last night... it's just. I can't do this, okay?" Dean said. Cas looked like he was about to protest, but Dean shook his head, silencing the angel so he could continue speaking. "As much as it's a terribly stupid thing to say, it's really not you. And I fucking mean it. Man, you deserve so much and I'm just... I can't-"

  This time, Cas cut in, the sudden rage appearing on his face shocking Dean into shutting his mouth. 

  "Is that what you really think?" He growled, coming closer to Dean. "That you don't deserve me?"

  Dean swallowed, his hold on his bottle so tight that any harder and it would start to break. Nonetheless, he managed to reply. "I don't- I'm just-I'm trash, and disgusting, nothing but a demon's bitch-"

  The next second, his back was pressed flat against the building's wall, the bottle dropping and instantly breaking upon its contact with the floor as Cas pushed himself against Dean. Everything went dark as Cas's wings suddenly burst into existence, hiding Dean from the outside world and blocking the early morning's faint light. 

  "Dean," Cas breathed, puffs of air against Dean's lips. Despite his angry demeanor practically seconds before, he was now looking so brokenly at Dean. "You are not any of the things you say you are. You are strong," Cas's hand carefully cradled Dean's jaw, while his other hand still held him in place, pressed against the brick wall. "And caring. And loyal. If anyone doesn’t deserve the other person, it's I who don’t deserve you.  _ I _ don't deserve to have scent bonded with such a wonderful person." Cas leaned on, his nose gently touching against Dean's neck as he scented him. "Despite everything you've been through, your soul shines bright as ever, Dean. That in itself is enough to make me love you."

  Dean froze, his eyes blurring as he stared blankly ahead at Cas's wings. His hands remained limply at his sides though, and he didn't push Cas away when he continued to scent Dean's neck, his mouth lightly working at Dean's neck. 

   His teeth gently nipped at Dean's collarbone, and right away, Dean's blood ran cold. 

  "Stop."

  Cas immediately pulled back, confusion evident in his eyes at Dean’s cold tone, but his hands were still holding on to Dean. Dean swallowed, his throats working as he forced the words to come out. "Get off me."

  Panic immediately washed over Cas's features, painful understanding briefly flashing through his eyes. The very next second, his wings were flapping frantically as Cas practically shoved himself backwards. Despite feeling bereft at the loss of contact, Dean was more concerned over the much more imminent panic attack threatening to overtake him, which he was barely managing to hold it at bay. 

  "I can't... you were," Dean took a deep breath, his eyes slipping closed as he lowered his head in mortification. "You were too close." And goddamn it, Dean hated himself so much at that moment. Dean couldn't even let the angel who was starting to smell more and more appealing by the second get close to him without thinking of Alastair - god, he was so  _ pathetic _ . But then Cas was stepping forward again, stopping a few feet away before gently reaching out to tilt Dean's head up, his finger under Dean’s chin the only contact otherwise. When Dean finally opened his eyes, he was met with Cas's face looking so apologetic and troubled. A new wave of guilt rose within Dean, for being the one to put that there. 

  "Don't be upset," Cas whispered, his finger so light against Dean's chin that he could honestly even barely feel it. "I understand. I shouldn't have pushed as far as I did... I'll try to keep my distance."

  But Dean shook his head, a ragged breath escaping him. "No." He said, before repeating it again with a bit more force. "No! God, no, it's just." He squeezed his eyes shut, reaching up to drag his hand through his hair. "I want to be close to you." he admitted quietly, unable to meet Cas's gaze. "There's nothing I want more right now... but. Can we just..." he turned away, feeling nervous and practically ashamed for even asking this. "Can we take it slow?"

  Dean let his head be turned, Cas's fingers still at his chin but hardly applying any pressure. Green eyes met blue, shocked with the sincerity shining within its depths as Cas focused his gaze solely on Dean. 

  "Of course."

  Dean gulped. This time when Cas moved away, he let himself slump forward, his back no longer pressed against the unforgiving wall. He watched as Cas went back to his bees, and instead of merely staring, Cas started to actively engage with them, looking down at each bee with an intense stare. Dean would have been content to just stand there and watch - though he was actually planning on getting another bottle of beer first though, when Cas spoke up. 

  "I forgot to mention. I told Gabriel about Sam."

  And just like that, Dean felt his breath catch, rendering him without air for a solid few seconds. 

  "What?"

  Cas looked at Dean out of the corner of his eye, and then blanched, straightening with a worried look on his face as he took in Dean's composure. "I didn't tell him everything!" He hastened to amend. "But I told him enough for him to keep an eye out on your brother." His face softened, though he was still peering at Dean in concern. "You don't have to worry about anything happening to him, Dean."

  Dean blinked. His heart was still beating rapidly from the amount of surprises that had been thrown at it, and now was refusing to calm down until it was certain everything was safe for sure. 

  "You-I-" Dean cleared his throat, blinking before trying again. "Thanks, man." And if his voice cracked, Cas didn't acknowledge it, except to give him a smile in return as he went back to tending to his bees. 

 

oOo

 

**_Buffalo, New York_ **

**_Late November, 2009_ **

 

  Cas stayed true to his word, avoiding crowding in too close to Dean or getting too personal either. And yet, their lingering stares intensified, smoldering looks passed back and forth, with so much frequency that even Dean found himself wanting to push forward, step up into Cas's space and see what the angel would do. But every time, at the last second, the actual thought of initiating close proximity would have Dean's muscles locking in fear, and he'd immediately turn away, throat working furiously as he tried to breathe evenly and not fall into another panic attack. 

  Despite all the sexual tension Dean could feel simmering between them, increasing with each day, Dean could practically feel their bond developing into something deeper. Something that made Dean's chest go warm every time he looked at Cas. 

  And if he was staring at Cas practically all the time... well, no one else had to know. And though Cas definitely caught him staring a few times, at least he had the mercy to not say anything. 

  Still. By the end of the month, even though Dean would have been content to staying in the shared apartment with only Cas for company, he could already start feeling that familiar itch under his skin, thrumming at him. So with a decision in mind, Dean went out to look for Cas, eventually finding the man in his own bedroom, sitting cross-legged on his bed while reading a book. 

  "Cas?" Dean knocked lightly on the door, waiting until Cas looked up. 

  "Dean." As usual, at the sight of him, Cas's face broke out into a gummy smile, the angel placing his yellow bookmark between the pages before putting the book away. "Come in." 

  Dean entered the room, feeling ever so slightly weird being in there. He didn't really come into Cas’s bedroom often, not that he even had a reason to, but also because Cas usually spent his time outside with his plants and bees, so they were almost always out there, if they were to be found together. Except for right now, when it was nighttime, and technically, Dean should have already been in bed. But he was feeling far too restless for that, so Dean highly doubted he'd be getting any sleep anytime soon anyway. 

  "I was, uh, wanting to tell you," Dean started. He sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck. "There's this case in Wyoming, looks like a banshee if I were to hazard a guess."

  Cas tilted his head, regarding Dean curiously. "And you want to go.” He stated, not asking. But then he spoke up again. "Are you sure you want to?"

  And yeah, ok, while Dean'd probably get mad under other circumstances, or even notably pissed, he could get where Cas was coming at. This entire month, he hadn't gone out on a hunt, which was the sole reason for his restlessness. But apart from that, Dean hadn't left the apartment  _ at all _ . Yeah, it was great and all that the high population helped dampen the angels' presence, but for Dean, the idea of stepping out and forcing himself to mingle with so many people, all the various scents and possibilities of bumping into people... what was once something Dean didn't mind, hell, what he'd even call his comfort zone, now Dean felt very much out of his depths. Straight up, the idea of socializing was daunting to Dean. 

  So yeah, he could get what Cas was getting at. But like hell was he gonna back down right now. He needed this hunt, and though he doubted it, if Cas wasn't happy about it... well, Dean had hunted on his own for all these years. 

  "Yeah, Cas," he replied, making his voice sound firmer than he actually felt. "I'm sure."

  Cas nodded. "Alright. If you're sure, then. When shall we leave?"

  Dean blinked, taken aback. Honestly, he didn't think it would be this easy to convince Cas that he was gonna go - why he even had to talk to him in the first place was beyond Dean but he still felt weird at the thought of just informing the guy with a foot out the door. But Cas inviting himself along... well. At least it saved him the trouble of asking. 

  "Uh, tomorrow?"

  Cas nodded. "Of course." 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 33

 

_ "Dean! It's still alive. It's inside me, I can feel it. You shoot me. You shoot me! You shoot me in the heart, son! _

_ Dean raised a shaking hand, pointing the gun to his chest.  _

_ "Do it now!" John yelled, panic warring in his eyes when Dean hesitated. "You've gotta hurry! I can't hold onto it much longer! You shoot me, son! Shoot me! Son, I'm begging you! We can end this here and now! Dean!" _

_ Dean was shaking his head, a hand clutched to his chest as tears streamed down his face. "No, dad, I can't-" _

_ "You do this! Dean!" John screamed when Dean let go of the Colt, letting it drop to the floor.  _

_ "I'm so sorry, dad, but no." _

_ "Dean..." John stared at Dean, a flash of sadness passing through his eyes before it was overcome with pity and rage. Quick as a flash, he grabbed the Colt, and pressed it to his own chest.  _

_ "Dad, no!" Dean screamed, dropping forward on his knees as his hands desperately reached out to his dad. But it was too late. With a loud bang, John had pulled the trigger, sending the last bullet through his heart.  _

_ Flashes of red erupted within John's body, eyes widening in shock and pain. But just as the light diminished from his body, with one last lucid look in his eyes, John turned his eyes to Dean, filled to the brim with betrayal and hatred. And then his eyes went blank, the life leaving his body.  _

 

  Dean woke with a gasp, his hand tightening on the wet pillow under his face. When he felt an arm around his waist, he stiffened, his hand automatically going for the knife under his pillow before the scent of rain and grass reached his nose. Dean let go of the knife, but he still refused to relax, eyes wide and unstaring as he took deep breaths. 

  Something soft tickled at his side, and Dean flinched, head immediately ducking down to find out what it was. Barely illuminated by the yet to rise sun, he could make out the pitch black feathers of Cas's wings, glossy as it landed on his side. The limb was heavy, but it was a comforting weight against him. 

  Taking his hand out from under his pillow, he started to reach out for the wing, hand shaking unsteadily as it got closer and closer. For his part, Cas was completely still, both from behind him and the wing on top of Dean. When Dean's fingers grazed the feathers, his breathing quickened, before letting it all go in a deep gasp as he pressed his entire hand firmly against the wing, his forehead pressing to the pillow as a feeling of  _ soothingcalmpeaceserene _ blossomed within him. Suppressing a moan, he led his hand explore the feathers, his other hand blindly reaching out until he latched on to Cas's arm, still around his midriff. He let the emotions completely wash over his mind, pushing away all the remaining traces of his nightmare as his hand continued stroking through the feathers. Through the haze in his mind, Dean could tell that the feathers were starting to quiver under his touch, but he didn't pay it any attention until suddenly the emotions in his head changed. From the sensation of ocean water lapping against the shore, it changed to static forming within the air, warnings of a lightning about to strike.

_ Closeskintouchkiss _ -

  Dean ripped his hand free from the wing, his hand still holding on to Cas's arm though as he disconnected his mind from Cas's emotions. Breathing heavily, he fisted his free hand, placing it on the bed in front of his face. 

  From behind him, the scent that typically reached his  _ nose _ to alert him of the other person's emotions turned a bit sour with remorse. 

  "My apologies." Cas said, voice low from behind him. "An angel's wings are a source of connection between mates, emotionally and mentally."

  Dean was silent for a moment, heart threatening to give out at the word  _ mates _ , before he responded. "Yeah, I figured." They were both quiet again, until the sun started to make its appearance, the rays streaming through Dean's window and making him blink. Still on his body, though he wasn't protesting now that he couldn't feel Cas's emotions anymore, his wing lay for the most part still on his body, moving up and down in cadence with Dean's breathing. Except for the occasional flutter of a few feathers here and there, causing a soft rustling sound as it readjusted its positions, Cas’s wing didn’t move from its place. 

  They didn't get up for another hour. 

 

oOo

 

  Things were softer between them that morning as they prepared for their hunt. Their touches were longer, and Cas's stare lingered even after Dean looked away uneasily, though he didn't mind Cas's staring. Dean was only having trouble with looking back into the eyes that seemed to carry so much affection for him. But Cas had no qualms with continuing to pin his eyes on Dean, tracking his movements when they were in the kitchen, Dean preparing himself breakfast. Or afterwards, as Dean checked his duffle to make sure that he had the right weapon and didn't accidentally pack the wrong one - though he'd yet to actually do that. If he ever had the wrong weapon, it was usually because his given intel was misunderstood and he had the wrong type of monster. 

  When they got in the car provided with some extra weapons from Balt - ' _ just in case _ ' - and some bakeries for the road, Cas was still staring at Dean. Dean bit at his lip, trying to stop the grin from sneaking through. "You're staring, Cas." He reminded, glancing at Cas. Cas smiled, sensing Dean's lightheartedness. 

  "How can I not, with the most beautiful of creations in front of me?" Cas asked. Dean felt the heat immediately rise to his cheeks as embarrassment flooded through him. 

  "Shit, Cas," Dean muttered, looking back to the road. "You shouldn't say things like that."

  From beside him, Cas frowned. "And why shouldn't I? It's true."

  Dean opened his mouth to protest, but it died in his throat when Cas's hand suddenly caught his own, entwining their fingers. 

  "Is this okay?" Cas asked softly. Having been effectively shut up, Dean wordlessly nodded, but then tightened his grip on Cas's fingers. They held hands like that until they had to get out for a pit stop, Dean tending to the pump and then himself while Cas went in and got Dean drinks and other refreshments. 

  Their hands reached for each other the moment they were back in the car, and though Dean adamantly hadn’t looked at Cas, he still couldn’t stop the small smile gracing his lips at that. And if that meant Dean had to learn how to eat Gabe's bakeries one handedly while driving hands free on the highway - for a few quick seconds until he got a bite in his mouth anyway - because he didn't want to let go, then it definitely wasn’t a problem, whatsoever. 

  Cas didn’t bother to let go at all, either. 

 

oOo

 

  They took the I-70 West, and while it wasn't necessarily the fastest route, any routes they would have had to take would have them make a stop in between anyway. With this one taking them through Kansas, at least they wouldn't have to worry too much about motel fees, if Ronald was still keen on letting Dean have the same room again, that is. 

  He was, thankfully… if a bit too much keen. Much to Dean's discomfort, the omega immediately bounded over and gave him a crushing hug. Dean was pretty sure he heard a rib crack at that, which, wow. Short dude must have gotten stronger. But he sent them to Dean's usual room, looking as plain yet decent as it always did. And with only one double smack in the center. 

  "Uh." Dean dropped his duffle by the table, his eyes glued to the bed. But Cas looked unruffled, barely casting it a glance as he placed the Tupperware containing the rest of Gabe's pie on the table.

  "Angels don't require sleep, Dean." Cas reminded him mildly, and okay, so maybe he was being a bit more obvious than he'd hoped. But still, despite Cas mentioning that in an blatant attempt to appease Dean, his muscles were starting to clench in anxiety at the thought of having to sleep already… 

  "Well, you don't have to drink either, but you gotta do at least that with me, man," Dean said, trying to make it sound light as he snagged a couple of beer bottles. "Keep me company."

  He set them on the table, seating himself at one of the chairs and opening up the bottles with ease. Dean held a bottle out, waiting as Cas squinted his eyes at the bottle before looking at Dean, coming closer and finally taking the bottle and sitting down. When Dean raised his bottle to Cas, his questioning gaze intensified, but he obliged, raising his bottle as well. Proceeding to take a long gulp from his beer, Dean's eyes strayed to the bed, his thoughts wandering as he considered his options. 

  He could either drink himself to sleep - and pray that he wouldn't get any nightmares. Though chances of that happening were near null. Or Dean could suddenly act as if he was all nervous about their case and pretend he wasn't sure he hadn't read it right and use that as an excuse to stay up and research, in which case he'd need to switch to coffee. But chances of that happening were also pretty damn low, because Dean had gotten as much as information as he could about the case and their possible monster, without actually being in person, so that would only provide with so much information that he could try going over. But Cas would definitely not fall for that. 

  His last and only option that seemed viable to work was to just man up and ask Cas if he would get into bed with Dean. The angel's presence had yet to fail in preventing him from being attacked by nightmares, but like fuck if Dean was gonna actually ask that of the angel.  

  So drinking to oblivion it was, then. 

  Dean was downing his drinks faster now, and had quickly worked himself up to his fourth bottle when Cas chose to intervene. 

  "Something is bothering you." Cas said, looking at Dean intently. He was still holding on to his first bottle, and Dean now wondered if the angel even drank any at all. 

  Dean huffed. "What makes you say that?" He dared to ask, finishing half of his drink in one go. 

  Cas tilted his head. "Apart from the copious amount of alcohol intake?" Which, okay, yeah that was an easy one. "It's actually your scent." Cas absently picked at the label on his bottle, his gaze growing foggy as he seemed to focus on scenting the air. 

  Dean frowned. Now that was definitely not right. He was always so careful to keep his scent under control, even more so as an omega thanks to John's intensive training. They’d made sure that even drinking never affected his grip on easily letting his scent out in the open, and his tolerance was way higher than how drunk he currently even was. Dean scented the air himself, just to check, and yeah. He couldn't smell himself any more than normal... but now that he was thinking about it, if anything, the smell of steady rain was getting through his head even through all the alcohol. 

  "Man, you sure you're smelling right?" Dean asked, leaning back in his chair. "'Cause honestly, all I smell is you."

  Cas froze, his finger halfway under the label as he stared at Dean. 

  "What?" Dean asked, starting to feel concern break through his drunkenness. He'd mourn its loss later, when he wasn’t too busy being distracted by the angel in front of him. 

  Cas shook his head slightly, his gaze turning scrutinizing. His finger slowly started peeling at the label again. "It's quite possibly the scent bond that helped attune me to your emotions." He said simply, and Dean felt his stomach turn. 

  The scent bond. Right, how could he forget. 

  But... maybe he could take advantage of that. And hell, if things went wrong, he could just blame it all on the beer later anyway.   

  "Mm. So, just wondering.” Dean said, after a moment, his tone carefully light. “I mean, there's only one bed and I don't care that you can't sleep, so what'll you be doing anyway?" Dean asked, and really, it was meant to be rhetorical but Cas answered anyway. 

  "Watch over you as you sleep, of course."

  Dean instantly recoiled, shaking his head before he even opened his mouth to respond. "Okay. No. Just, no, fuck, that's creepy, man." He shook his head one last time before coming to a slow stop, letting a small smile slide over his lips. "Why don't we just share the bed?" Dean shrugged, now avoiding Cas's eyes as he stretched, leaning back so he could focus his gaze elsewhere. "I mean, it'll just save us the trouble later anyway if you get in now rather than after - you know."

  When Cas didn't reply, Dean felt his heart jump into his throat, refusing to go back down. "Or you know what, forget it." He said thickly, starting to stand up. His beer was long forgotten on the table now. "It was just a stupid thought, probably the scent bond messing with my-"

  "No, it wasn't." Cas cut in sharply, his gaze piercing into Dean. He was still looking at him inquisitively, but at least he wasn't questioning Dean. But he didn't really clarify to which part his negative reaction was aimed towards. "You're right. It might actually help you get some uninterrupted sleep, which not only for tomorrow but, if you start getting more of, it'll help you in the long run. But... Dean, are you truly okay with this?" Cas slowly stood, coming to a stop only a few inches away from Dean, barely several hand lengths of a gap between them. 

  "Yeah," Dean said, lifting his head to give Cas a shaky smile in an attempt to hide how very out of his element he was feeling right now. "I mean, I'm the one who asked, right?"

  Cas tilted his head. "Yes, Dean. You did." And for some reason, he looked far too happy for that. His lips were quirking up at the corners very faintly, that had Dean not been standing so closely, he'd have missed it. As it was, with his eyes dropping down to Cas's mouth, he could see the light movement, translating to a meaning that Dean now understood to translate into pride. 

  Speaking of... he was still standing far too close to Cas. 

  With a jolt, Dean stepped backwards, ignoring how very much he wanted to be moving in the opposite direction. Awkwardly looking to the bed and then around the motel room, Dean cleared his throat. 

  "I'm going to take a shower. Feel greasy from just driving all day." Dean bent down to pick up his duffle, placing it on the bed to take out a change of clothes from it. He usually changed into his fresh clothes out of the bathroom, but the thought of baring his back and being in a rather… vulnerable position left him feeling cold. Even if it was Cas, and even though he normally didn't have qualms with his body… actually. It had been a long time since he'd been comfortable showing his body too anyone - out of his own free will anyway. 

  Too distracted by the thoughts running in his head, Dean didn't pay attention to what exactly he was taking out of his duffel, merely noting it as suitable for bed that wasn't just a boxers and t-shirt, before moving into the bathroom, firmly shutting and locking it behind him. Leaning back against the door, he tilted his head back, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. 

  "God, I'm such a girl."

  Dean took a few more deep breaths, setting the clothes on the counter and then absently stripping himself, resolutely ignoring his reflection in the mirror as always. He wasn't keen on seeing whatever looked back at him, so he kept his head ducked down until he climbed into the bathtub, letting out a grateful hiss once the hot water was turned on and beating down Dean's tense muscles in its usual, irregular rhythm. 

  Dean took his time in the shower, scrubbing the travel worn dirt from his skin and letting the steam relax his body enough to lull him into a sense of drowsiness. He only stepped out when the water threatened to go cold, and shivering slightly at the immediate drop in temperature when he was no longer under the water, Dean quickly toweled himself off before reaching his clothes. Boxers, sweatpants, hoodie- hang on, he didn't own a-

  Well. Technically, he didn't own a hoodie - but he was  _ loaned _ one. By the angel outside, who was probably gonna notice and demand it back. 

  Okay, he wouldn't demand the clothes off Dean's back just like that, dude was way too nice and polite for that, but still. This was gonna be awkward. But it wasn't like Dean had anything else to do, his mind having made him already grab the most comfortable clothes for bed and leaving the rest of his choices outside. With Cas. And it would be weird to just march back in and change, so yeah. Time to get out and get to bed. With an angel. Whom he scent bonded with. That was an alpha. And for the entire night. 

  Taking a deep breath, Dean steeled himself, and stepped out of the bathroom. 

  Cas was standing by the window when he stepped out, his trench and suit coat neatly folded over the back of his chair. Apart from that, he still managed to look so immaculate in the rest of his clothes, that Dean had to suppress an eye roll. Now that he thought about it, it was fricking obvious that there was something otherworldly about Cas, what with the way he almost never seemed to get disheveled. Except for his hair, which was always so crazily in every direction as if someone ran their fingers through it, making Dean's own fingers itch to be able to mark  _ his _ claim-

  Dean shook his head, subconsciously stepping closer to Cas. 

  "You gonna get ready for bed?" At his voice, which had unintentionally dropped lower, Cas turned around, the lights from a passing car outside briefly flashing over his face, causing his blue eyes to faintly glow. 

  "Is this not sufficient?" Cas frowned down at his clothes, and  _ now _ Dean rolled his eyes. 

  "Cas, buddy, I hate to break it to you, but you still look like you're going for a business meeting - or maybe just came out of one, I dunno," Dean shook his head. "Point is, ditch the formal wear - you brought extra clothes, right?" At Cas's hesitant nod, he replied with a brisk one of his own. "Good. Go bring something more comfortable for bed. You brought the t-shirt and, uh, boxers I bought you, right?" Dean asked, trying to pointedly ignore the heat climbing to his cheeks at that. 

  "Yes, Dean." Cas replied, starting to look amused. 

  "Shut up," Dean instantly said, though without any real heat. "Just, go bring those and change into them. It's a lot better than looking like you're about to make sleeping an actual, pay-by-hour job or something."

  He turned before Cas could answer, pulling his duffel off the bed. The motel room door closed softly behind him as he pulled the blankets off the bed, and it occurred to him that Cas hadn’t asked for his keys right as Dean was climbing in. But Cas didn't come back right away, and deciding to just point him to the keys when he did, Dean laid down, sighing as his body reclined on the mattress. Already feeling more than tired from the entire night's events, sleep started to come to him easily, his eyes drifting closed and moving Dean into a light sleep. He was only vaguely aware of the door reopening, not bothering to rise up in alarm when he could smell the familiar scent of the soft patter of rain accompany Cas's entrance anyway. There was some rustling as Cas moved into the bathroom, the door shutting even quiet than usual as the angel made an obvious attempt to stay quiet, and right as Dean was about to drift off completely, Cas came back out. The bed dipped as he got in, and instantly, Dean was feeling a lot more alert again, though not to the point of opening his eyes. But still, he was aware of Cas's presence right behind him. With a sigh, Dean relented, his eyes still closed as he turned around and pushed his face against Cas's neck. He felt the angel stiffen in surprise, but it was only for a second before Cas was relaxing again, gathering Dean in his arms in a loose hug as Dean scented his neck, the omega fisting the soft grey t-shirt Cas was wearing. 

  With the scent of thunder cackling in the air gathering right at his head, Dean finally drifted off into a deeper sleep, Cas's scent and embrace the apparent kicker. It was worth it though, when he didn't get any nightmares that night. Not even once. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 34

 

  When Dean woke up the next morning, it wasn't with a gasp, or a scream, or a grunt of phantom pain, or even with a cringe as the first thing he did after coming to consciousness was press his face to his pillow. No, it wasn't any of that, which was why it took Dean completely off guard. 

  When he woke up... he just...  _ woke up.  _ One moment, he was dreaming of fishing, for some weird reason, with a bunch of bees around in the air. And then next second, it was slowly fading away, until everything was black. That was solved when he opened his eyes, and found himself staring right into Cas's. 

  Dean stayed silent, inhaling a bit sharply as he looked down to Cas's shirt. He was still holding on to it tightly, and his fingers were actually starting to cramp a bit, but he refused to let go just yet. 

  "Good morning, Dean." Cas hummed, his breath tickling at Dean's skin. 

  "Mornin, Cas." He mumbled back, slowly starting to peel his fingers free from the shirt. But Cas surprised him, pulling his own hand away from under his head to place it on Dean's, stilling his actions and making him continue to merely hold on tightly to the shirt. 

  "You slept peacefully," Cas observed, trying to meet Dean's eyes. 

  "Yeah, guess I did." Dean lifted a finger, drawing a circle on Cas's chest. "Thanks."

  "There is no need to thank me." Cas stated, voice so low it was almost a grumble. Dean tried to ignore the thrill that rushed to his toes at that - which is when he realized that their legs were  _ tangled together  _ \- instead pressing his finger against Cas harder in an effort to distract himself. It... wasn't really working. "I'm just glad you got a proper night's rest."

  Dean hummed. He was feeling really cozy, actually, against Cas like this. He knew he'd probably be all embarrassed about how clingy he was being -  _ like a typical omega  _ \- but Dean shushed that thought in his head. He could deal with it later. 

  The urge to take a leak and get some food, on the other hand, wasn't as easy to dismiss, though. 

  Highly reluctant, Dean started to push himself up, letting go of Cas's shirt to sit up and stretch, rubbing his hands over his face. 

  "I was thinking breakfast, and then we head on our way?" Dean turned slightly to Cas, watching the angel sit up as well. 

  "Of course." With a yawn, Dean got up, lazily stumbling to the bathroom. He only just remembered to take another set of clothes with him before he entered the bathroom, blushing at the suddenly renewed hope that Cas didn't say anything about what he was already wearing. 

  By the time he came out, Cas was back in his suit again, making Dean roll his eyes in exasperation, though he couldn't disagree that there was a slight fondness to his own action. Within the next several minutes, they were all packed and ready to leave Topeka behind them again, Dean promising Ronald that he might drop by eventually, but he wasn't sure when. 

  But first, breakfast. 

  "Did you have any places in mind?" Cas asked absently, flipping through Dean's collection of cassettes. 

  Dean shifted in his seat, briefly gaining Cas's attention long enough for him to throw a wink at Cas. "Buddy, Anne doesn't just serve beer." He drove to the familiar bar, almost smiling as he wondered what kind of greeting he'd be subjected to. Obviously something polite, but exuberant. 

  But man, did the thought of being greeted with such positive energy send a happy little thrill rush through his chest. 

  Reaching his destination within minutes, Dean parked the car. The two got out simultaneously, Cas waiting ahead as he locked the car before heading inside. 

  For a weekday morning, there was the usual lull in customers, only a handful lying slouched over their chairs blanketed in whatever misery befell them here and there, and a few others absently munching through their choice of meal and well within their own worlds. Which meant that Anne immediately noticed him. 

  "Dean!" Her face immediately brightened, tossing the rag which she was cleaning the counter with, swiftly crossing said counter to gather Dean in a hug. "God, I didn't think I'd actually see you again." She mumbled, her face pressed against his jacket. He hugged her back just as tightly, relishing in the warmth erupting within his chest. 

  "Was passing through and decided to stop by and say hi. You can’t think I’d have easily forgotten you guys!" He returned, letting her go. She took a step back, looking Dean over as he essentially did the same. The more prominent change in her scent didn't go unnoticed by Dean, but he decided to address that later. "Adam in?" He asked. 

  Anne shook her head, almost remorsefully. "He's at college. Doesn't come in until his evening shift, I don't suppose you're gonna stay that long?" She asked, tucking her hands into the back pocket of her jeans. But Dean shook his head, thoughts briefly flashing to a banshee waiting to be ganked. 

  "Nah, sorry, Anne, but we were gonna head out after some breakfast. Which reminds me why we're here," he grinned, looking back to Cas in a gesture for him to come forward. "I promised Cas he'd try your food at least once, and we ain't leaving till we try it."

  Anne chuckled. "The usual, I'm guessing?" She turned, already heading to the back of the bar. 

  "Make it two, sweetheart!" Dean called out, pulling up a barstool and sitting on it. Beside him, Cas followed suit, inspecting the liquor on the shelf behind the bar. 

  "I don't have to eat." Cas needlessly reminded Dean yet again. However, Dean shook his head, a smile forming on his lips as he turned to face the angel. 

  "You've eaten with me all this time because you gotta keep up appearances, you're gonna have to do it here as well. Plus, Anne's burgers are pretty damn good." Cas raised his eyebrows, looking unimpressed. 

  "You say that for practically all the burgers I've ever seen you eat, Dean." 

  Dean scoffed. "'Course not! There was that one time in this place, I dunno, Plucky Pennywhistle's or something, and the pizza there tasted like ass. Even the kids hated it."

  Cas's expression still didn't change. "Pizza. Not burger." He stated simply. 

  "Uh," Dean, rubbed the back of his neck, but he was having far too much fun with the way this conversation - to the point of banter - was going anyway. "Well. Pretty hard to screw up burgers anyway, then."

  Cas started grinning, and a moment later, Dean began chuckling, enjoying the lightheartedness on the alpha's face. He was subconsciously leaning into Cas, and only realized it when Cas's chest bumped into the back of his arm, but his chuckling didn't falter, and he didn't bother moving after Cas pushed in closer as well. 

  "Two cheeseburgers with extra onions and fries on the side." Anne listed, sliding the trays in front of them. Dean straightened at the sight of the food, though he and Cas were still leaning close to each other as he picked up his burger. Dean inhaled deeply. 

  "Huh. So this is what coming home feels like." He winked as he took a big bite of the burger, pointedly raising his eyebrow at Cas until the angel did the same. Uncharacteristically, he waited until at least most of his mouth was free before he added, "And I bet how Mike gets to feel everyday now." 

  Anne blushed, leaning forward to flick Dean lightly on the arm. "Oh shut up. It's only been a month, we haven't gotten that far or anything."

  "And yet you smell more like him than ever. ‘Sides, I thought he was supposed to be the one and all?" Dean asked, skeptically at the beginning before morphing to more genuine curiosity by the end. 

  Anne shrugged, leaning against the bar. "Still, just felt like taking it slow, you know?"

  Swallowing, Dean nodded. He busied himself with taking another bite, and fervently ignored the urge to look at Cas at Anne's statement. Oh boy, did he know alright.  

  "So, Castiel, right?" Anne asked, turning to Cas. Mouthful of burger, Cas awkwardly nodded, hurrying to swallow before replying seriously. 

  "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Anne Marie." 

  Anne looked slightly taken aback, most likely either from Cas's style of speech - which yeah, it took even Dean a while to get used to - or the fact that he remembered her full name. Not that it was a hard name to remember or anything, but Dean knew that even such a small gesture would come across quite largely to her. 

  "Pleasure is mine," she smiled, turning it slightly apologetic. "But no one's called me that in ages. I usually go by Anne, sweetie."

  Cas tilted his head. "Anne it is."

  A grin that Dean could tell was part amusement and part flattery appeared on Anne's face as she pushed herself away from the bar when a customer signaled to her. "I'm going to go take care of my business. Don't you dare leave without a goodbye, Dean." She cast Dean a firm look, startling Dean from his burger. 

  "Hey, since when have I ever left without a goodbye?" But she didn't reply, already walking away. 

  Dean stared at her retreating back for a moment, before shrugging and going back to his burger, looking at Cas from the side of his eye. 

  "So... how's the burger?" 

  Cas wrinkled his nose. "Complex. But... I can see how it can be enjoyable."

  After debating that for a second, Dean ended up shooting him a winning grin anyway for that. 

 

oOo

 

  Taking the I-80 West, Dean settled himself in for another day's ride, after checking one last time to make sure they got their beer and the last remnants of Gabe's pie. A slice left, really, but still impressive, seeing as Cas didn't really eat any of it. 

  He drove steadily, barely taking breaks, and made it to Casper by midnight. Dean barely had the energy to book themselves a room, absently asking for a king - which he'd later blame on being too tired to remember that Cas was right behind him, if asked - before dragging himself to bed for his four hours. Cas seemed to curiously regard Dean getting into bed so easily with any signs of uncomfortableness, but when Dean automatically curled into him the moment he was in bed, Dean felt Cas relax completely, and it was enough for him to let go of consciousness. 

 

oOo 

 

**_Casper, Wyoming_ **

**_Late November, 2009_ **

 

  Come morning, they immediately headed to the state's behavioral institute, Dean pulling the collar of his coat higher up to stave off the brisk morning air. 

  It was a welcome relief to step into the warmer lobby, and Dean spared a moment to rub his hands in an attempt to gain some heat from the friction, before reaching for his fake badge, nudging at Cas to do the same. 

  "Hey, I’m Glen Burtnik, this is my partner, John Curulewski," he tilted his head at Cas, putting away his badge after the beta behind the desk looked back to him after glancing at it. "We’re from the Health Department,” Dean added, in case the woman hadn’t managed to get a proper look at the badge that Dean quickly put away. “We're here about the recent deaths of your patients." 

  Immediately, the woman's borderline impatient look disappeared, rapidly replaced with fake politeness and a far too cheery smile. 

  "Oh, of course. Just give me one moment." She picked up her phone, holding it to her ear as she punched in a few buttons. Dean and Cas waited along with the woman for her call to connect, and soon she was talking into it. 

  "Yes, Doctor? I've got some Health Inspectors here to see you... yes," she paused, listening before nodding her head. "Yes, of course. Alright, I'll let them know." She put the phone down, looking back up at Dean again. 

  "Doctor Benton will be with you in a bit, if you'd like to have a seat?" She gestured to the office chairs behind them, and Dean nodded, giving her a forced grin in return before turning to go sit down. Cas seated himself adjacent from him, taking a look at their surroundings with a frown. 

  "What's wrong?" Dean asked, unable to miss Cas's near displeasure radiating from him. Cas shook his head. 

  "This place. It reeks of misery." He answered, with distaste coloring his tone. 

  "Well, that makes this perfect hunting grounds for a banshee then." Dean muttered, just as an old doctor strode into the room, hair wild and greying, his alpha scent hitting Dean hard and making him want to wrinkle his nose at how off putting the man smelled. 

  "Hello. I am Doctor Benton." The man stuck out his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Dean shook it as quick as he could, gladly letting go of the man's hand so that the doc could shake Cas's hand next. There was only so much of a hospital's sterile scent he could take. But that, coupled with what Dean could now understand Cas was saying of a scent reeking of misery enwrapped with the man's smell - most likely from the patients - made Dean eager to put as much as distance as possible between him and the doc. 

  "Yeah, hi. Burtnik and Curulewski." Dean replied, gesturing to Cas for his introduction, trying to keep this as short as possible. 

  Benton nodded. "Yes, you're here about the deaths of our patients, I'm assuming?" He asked nonchalantly. 

  Dean nodded. "Yeah, bashed their heads open on their room walls, correct?" 

  Benton nodded again, gesturing for them to follow him as he led them through another corridor, speaking as he did so. "Yes. I don't actually see why the Department had to go through the trouble to send people down here though. We do run a behavioral institute after all."

  Dean raised his eyebrows at the man's back. "Yeah, a behavioral institute," he repeated pointedly. "That doesn't necessarily warrant suicides out of your patients doc. Especially violent ones." 

  They entered a room, presumably an office, which stank of cleaning acids as Benton took a seat behind the desk. At least he didn't have to worry about anything gross, or so Dean tried to console himself as he gingerly sat down across from Benton, Cas wordlessly sitting on the chair beside him. 

  "I can see why you'd say that. But I must implore you to see that some of our patients here, they are victims of several issues which would very likely cause them to have such violent urges. As you say - crossing beyond the less worrisome act of self harm." Dean's eyebrows skyrocketed at that, and Benton rushed to add on. "Not that that isn't concerning either, but compared to an actual suicide, at least we have time to treat self harm, correct?"

  Dean shuffled uneasily in his seat, suddenly aware of Cas's rising irritation from beside him. He couldn't fault the angel - this guy, despite his caring, doctorly words, was far too clinical and distant with his words, making the entire thing seem rather... rehearsed, if anything. 

  "Yeah, sure. Anyway, your patients, the victims. Did they suffer heavily from the issues you were talking about?" 

  Benton nodded, stapling his fingers under his chin. "Oh, yes. Never acted as they should in social situations, always lashed out and harmed the others, and when pressed to talk, they'd claim about how unjustly they were being treated and all that spiel, which I can guarantee you is nothing but false. We treat them as best as we can here. And yet, the ones who died were of the more disturbed ones." Benton leaned back, his eyes starting to focus on Cas. "Quiet one, aren't you?"

  Dean cleared his throat just as Cas decided to let his frown show on his face. "Your patients are receiving the best care they possibly can?" Cas instead asked, his gaze piercing the doc, making Benton blink in surprise. 

  "Definitely!" The alpha exclaimed. And yeah, whether that was true or not, Dean could tell the man wasn't lying. That is, at least the doctor believed that to be true anyway. 

  As for if it actually was...

  "Doc, do you mind us looking through your hospital? Just to get a peace of mind, you know. And so we'll be able to come up with something to put the higher ups in our office at ease." Dean cast Benton a winning grin, and sure enough, though he seemed too displeased about it, Benton acquiesced. 

  "Yes, I understand. I'd take you myself, but I actually have some work to tend to." He started to stand up, immediately reaching for the sanitizer at the edge of his desk. "If you gents don't mind giving yourself the grand tour...?"

  Dean took the lead, smiling a large, gracious and fake smile at the alpha. "That's perfectly fine, thanks. We'll be out of your hair before you know it." He pushed lightly at Cas's arm, making the angel hurry up and leave first as he followed behind. 

  Just as they exited the room, he thought he could hear Benton mutter, "I do hope so." But he didn't turn around, letting the office fall well behind them before turning to Cas. 

  "Was it just me, or did that guy just come across as way too creepy?"

 

oOo

 

  The victim's rooms were now homes to new patients, so they couldn't look around as much as Dean wanted. But really, their main problem was finding the next victim, which proved to be a bit more complicated than planned. 

  "We're in a behavioral institute," Dean hissed, trying to keep his voice low as they passed a patient accompanied by an orderly. "Anyone could be our next victim here!"

  He had a point. And Cas knew it. 

  "Then we'll stay here tonight," Cas suggested. "Stake out the place in case the banshee comes, and if you find it first, call out to me for backup."

  Dean raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. "So you're suggesting we split up. Sure, that's fine. But what'll I do if you find it first?"

  Cas peered at him. "I'll come to you as soon as I kill it. I can take care of myself."

  "And I can't?" Dean exclaimed, looking affronted. 

  Cas sighed. "That's not what I meant."

  "Uh huh."

  "I'm just saying, it'll be a bit better to have an angel - you're making fun of me, aren't you." Cas realized. 

  Dean grinned. "Aw man, you're so easy to rile up." During their conversation, they had walked to the exit, Dean nodding at the receptionist as he pushed the main door open. "Yeah, we'll come back tonight and we'll split up. But we're probably gonna have to watch out for the night guards, you realize?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i currently don't have proper access to a computer so lets just say editing was a bitch, especially in between homework breaks or homework and sleep (=fried tired brain)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of good stuff in this chapter if you ask me ;)  
> ok, i'll be honest. I did not think i was gonna update today, because homework, and life in general's been biting at me, and honest to god, i usually try to rewrite the same chapter into a get version as well, so editing this doesn't take me too long but rewriting? Forever. But I cut out a lot of scenes instead of rewriting pages, so I managed to finish early and.. here we go! Hope you like!  
> BTW!!! So I think what I thought of (e warning here) male omegas got their penises, assholes, but also like, (how do you say this in a non-derogative way.. coming from a girl herself) like a vagina as well, but they don't.. have a clit..? so its more like a birthing canal, and like... the hole for sex and all, and that asshole back their is for excretory purposes and good lord if i could blush I'd probably be flaming rn

Sweet Stop - Chapter 35

 

  They snuck in through a back entrance later that night, keeping their eyes out for any of the patrolling staff. Once inside, after a hesitant nod from Cas, looking for all the word as if he was suddenly rethinking his decision to split up, they went in separate directions, sticking to the walls and shadows. 

  Dean was, as usual, wearing his scent blockers, using a different smell to camouflage himself. So instead of smelling like a regular beta, his scent was now so sterile that he was easily able to blend into the institute's atmosphere. Cas on the other hand, simply used his own grace to completely suppress his own scent, and it left Dean feeling rather unnerved that the moment he turned his back to the angel, he no longer could sense him by smell. And yet, Dean could still tell he was there, his hunter senses working on overdrive to make up for any absences, all the way until they turned into separate corridors and were further distanced. 

  Dean kept his senses alert, ears straining for any sounds of a person falling victim to the banshee, eyes taking in everything in front of him within moments as he continued moving. He was just passing by one of the patient's doors when he heard a whimper, and he immediately turned, eyes widening as the smell of immense distress hit Dean square in the face. 

  Unable to resist, Dean chanced a look around him, making sure there weren't any staff nearby before ducking into the room. The smell and sound of an omega in pain enveloped him, and his own omega self started aching to seek and offer comfort. Regardless, putting it at bay for the moment, Dean stepped forward, inhaling deeply. 

  The omega - a dark haired girl - was curled up in her bed, her arms around herself as she tried to make herself smaller, whimpers occasionally escaping from her. He could barely get a proper whiff of her own scent, masked with the hospital's sterile one and other undoubtedly strong pills. 

  "Hey." He reached a hand out, forcing himself to exude a comforting scent heavy enough to temporarily break through his blockers. The moment Dean’s hand touched her shoulder, the girl was stiffening, her eyes shooting wide open as she pushed herself backwards on the bed and further away from Dean. 

  "No, stop! Please! No more!" She begged, tears starting to slip from her eyes. Alarmed, Dean pulled his hand back, settling into a crouch to meet the girl's eyes better. 

  "Hey, no, look - I don't work here!" Dean rushed to explain, his voice still low. "Tell me what's wrong. Are you in pain?" On a whim, he added, just to be safe and sure anyway. "Are you hearing something? Like, real loud?"

  The girl's eyes briefly squinted in confusion, before she completely shut her eyes closed and scrunched her face up as she seemingly rode out another wave of pain. "What? I don’t know-I think-maybe?" She moaned, her fingers digging into the bedspread. "God, no, it’s just. The pills. It's too much." She let out a gasp, and then hid her face into her pillow and let out a muffled sob. 

  Dean narrowed his eyes, slightly confused but trying to make sense of the crying girl’s words. He waited until the girl was taking deep, shuddering breaths, before he pressed on. "Pills?" He repeated. "What pills?"

  The girl peeked out from her pillow, looking absolutely broken and defeated as she replied. "So many kinds. They force us to take pills that make us all dull, numb, and always so tired. And then force us on antidepressants when we don't talk properly. And then heat suppressing pills on top of all that." She shook her head, hiding her face again. "And yes, there's been this high pitched screaming I've always been hearing, and now it's just getting louder today." She let out another drawn out groan, letting go of her belly to clamp her hands over her ears. 

  And then she shrieked. 

  Dean immediately sprung up, his eyes taking in the room again, and sure enough, the banshee that had been haunting this fucked up institute was heading right for them. 

  "Cas!" Dean called out, even as he pulled out his blade, ready to stab the banshee. But it flung a hand out, making Dean go airborne and hit the institute wall. He slid down with a pained grunt, trying to get his breath back as the banshee went right for the girl. But the next second, Cas was right between them, eyes glowing fiercely as he rammed his own golden blade between the banshee's ribs. 

  The banshee let out a horrifying wail as it died, exploding into a burst of dust. Cas dropped his hand, rushing to Dean, dropping to his knees by him and hastily checking Dean for injuries. 

  "Dean, are you alright?" Cas pried open Dean's eyelid, checking his pupil and making Dean wince. He pulled himself back, grabbing on to Cas's arm to help heave himself up. 

  "I'm fine - the girl." He directed, and they made their way to the omega. She was now sitting there, frozen, staring at where the banshee had been, before being killed by Cas... who Dean had a feeling flew here - he could vaguely remember the sounds of feathers rustling in the wind before it was overwhelmed by the banshee's dying screams that even he could hear. The girl’s hands were still over her ears, and Dean could see a trickle of blood slipping though her fingers. He bent down beside her, making her pale face look up to meet his gaze. 

  "You okay?" He asked, looking her over. Dean could still smell the pain radiating from her, and the blood was still there, but she was also still frozen in shock, which was kinda starting to worry him. 

  "I-" she whimpered, letting out a groan as she pressed her face against the pillow. "I'm hallucinating, aren't I?"

  "Well..." Dean considered this. Maybe this could be a good thing. If she thought she was hallucinating, maybe she wouldn't drive herself to a panic attack after finding out the supernatural is real... and as much as he didn't want to lie to her, for a girl that was stuck at a place that he was planning to report ASAP anyway, she probably had enough in her life going on anyway. 

  "Yeah." Dean announced, coming to a decision. He tried to speak soothingly, which was a bit weird considering he was still talking to her back. "You know what, yes. This is all a hallucination." He started to get off the bed, but then paused when he saw the girl was hugging her midsection again. "But first..." he turned to Cas, feeling a bit awkward to ask him of this. 

  "We should be leaving," Cas tilted his head towards the doorway, his gaze going distant as if he was listening to something. "The staff are coming this way."

  "Shit," Dean looked at the doorway, glancing back to the girl before looking at Cas again. "Listen, man. She's, uh, pretty messed up. Physically, I mean - internally, whatever." Dean muttered, lowering his voice further as he hastened to get out his request. "I think they're drugging their patients up to the point of overdose, and basically it's probably tearing up her intestines -" he barely finished getting his words across before Cas was pushing past him, placing a hand on the girl's back to turn her over and press two fingers to her forehead. She looked startled, but then fell asleep instantaneously, her face smoothing out. Cas closed his eyes, a look of concentration washing over him before he pulled back, looking simultaneously angered and frustrated. 

  "You were right." He told Dean. "The medication was destroying her organs and poisoning her bloodstream, subjecting her to a slow and painful death." Dean eyes widened, his chest constricting in sympathetic pain. 

  "Can you do anything about it?"

  "I already did," Cas replied, voice low as he pulled Dean to the doorway, peering out before he exited the room. Dean followed quietly behind him, absently checking behind them to make sure they weren't caught unawares, but mostly concentrating on what Cas was saying. "She doesn't have any more traces of it in her system. Although continued consumption will get her right back to this state anyway."

  They froze by a turning, right where their window where they made their entry was, checking to make sure no one was around before continuing. 

  "Don't worry about that - I've got it covered." Dean replied, grunting as he heaved himself out of the window. As soon as he got back home, there was nothing stopping Dean from personally ensuring that this place was shut down. 

  The two fell silent as they jogged back to the car, parked a couple of blocks away, both of their minds working rapidly. Dean was breathing heavily as he jumped into the driver's seat, while Cas was, as usual, unfazed as he climbed in leisurely. As Dean was reaching for the key in the ignition to start up the car, Cas suddenly spoke up. 

  "You were at practically the same condition, when I first found you."

  Dean paused, his hands on the keys as he glanced at Cas. "Huh?"

  Cas studiously stared straight ahead. "When I had first taken you to Gabe's suite in Kansas, I wasn't able to expend my grace on your external wounds because I had used up my quota tending to your internal ones." Now, Cas turned to look at Dean, and the omega was surprised to see the pain reflected within the angel's eyes. "Your organs were so severely damaged and bleeding, it would have made your life just as torturous and painful as the girl back in there, Dean."

  Dean swallowed, looking back at the road. A moment passed, before he sighed, his hands falling from the steering wheel to his lap. "I was actually gonna tell you later, but now that you told me this..." Dean rubbed the familiar spot at back of his neck, and now it was his turn to avoid Cas's eyes. "I was actually gonna go off my heat pills."

  It was silent for a moment, before Cas let out a small, ' _ oh _ '. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Dean finally started the car, his eyes taking in the road but managing to avoid looking at Cas. 

  "Yeah," he replied, his throat dry. "Oh."

  They were in the highway before Dean relented, his right hand falling from the steering wheel to the seat, between the two of them and just a few inches away from Cas's fingers. "Thank you, though." He mentioned quietly. Cas didn't ask why. But instead, he wordlessly moved his hand to take Dean's in his own, entwining their fingers together. 

  The small smiles that graced their lips were illuminated by the passing street lamps, and though they were both aware of it, they didn't bother to break the silence. 

 

oOo

 

**_Buffalo, New York_ **

**_December, 2009_ **

 

  They returned to their apartment a few days later, having stopped in between at Kansas again to spend a day there, interacting with everyone they both knew, Dean taking advantage to catch up with Annie and even Adam this time. The two even stopped at  _ Sweet Stop -  _ Gabe's Kansas ‘branch’, said Angel had exclaimed with glee and delight - still located at it's usual spot, except now it was being run by Gary as store manager behind the scenes, while Mandy served them again. While still eyeing Cas. Again. Even more so than usual, which was actually starting to drive Dean crazy. And for all that Cas seemed completely perplexed whenever Dean - barely being calm about it - pointed it out to him, Cas would claim to fail to see how Mandy could be so persistent and attracted to  _ him _ of all people. 

  Dean wondered if Cas had ever bothered to look at himself in the mirror. 

  Despite the fact that the workers at Topeka's  _ Sweet Stop _ were still using Gabe's recipes and methods, there was this subtle spark missing from the bakeries, but Dean felt like he was the only one to notice - if the crowded cafe was anything to go by. No one else seemed to have any qualms with the food or drinks. Cas later confided in Dean that his brother tended to use his grace on his products to ensure full enjoyability, and that even though he left, he still ensured that the food was never lose its touch, though a bit of it would eventually fail unless Gabe returned personally to renew the grace. Dean had shook his head, muttering how typical it was of the angel to do that, though his words were lighthearted. 

  Now they were back at their apartment though, ladened with bakeries as usual, most of which Dean dumped on Gabe, saying he'd rather have food from the angel himself if he were to eat any of his recipes. 

  But the first actual thing Dean did after getting back to their apartment was to conk himself out for a good few hours, worn out by the drive. Cas left him for a bit to tend to his bees and plants, keeping an ear out in case Dean started crying out in distress, but somehow, Dean slept peacefully for the most part. By evening, he was up and getting into the shower while Cas made him dinner, letting himself soak for a while before bothering actually start washing himself. Stepping out a good while later and wrapping a towel around his waist, Dean paused at the sight of his open bag containing his toiletries. He could see his scent blockers peaking out, right beside his heat and birth suppressants. With a shaking hand, he reached for his heat suppressant, cradling the bottle in his hand. Swallowing, he tossed the bottle into the bin. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 36

 

  "I talked to Gabriel while you were resting." Cas mentioned, a cup of honeyed tea in hand as he watched Dean eat. Dean raised his eyebrows to indicate that he was listening, but said nothing, silently sipping at Cas's special homemade beer. Dean ignored the look Cas sent him at that, but thankfully, Cas just continued. 

  "As requested, he'd been keeping an eye on your brother." 

  Dean instantly looked up, slowly putting the beer back down as he trained his complete focus on Cas, who was sitting across from him. Cas tilted his head. "Your brother is fine - he's actually moving well ahead with his life. Apparently, he's quite the reputable lawyer in his area." 

  Dean smiled thinly, though his his face was otherwise frozen as he glanced down before looking back up quickly. "Yeah, that's Sam. Best at what he does, no matter what he does."

  Cas frowned, though he seemed confused by Dean's bitter tone opposing with his choice of words. "I, uh, if you don't mind me asking," Cas began hesitantly, but his eyes were searching Dean's, as if he wanted to make sure for himself if Dean would be okay with whatever he was gonna say. Dean gestured at Cas to go on, a bit unnerved by how Cas was anxious to spit whatever it was out. "Did you know he's courting someone?"

  Dean swallowed, ears suddenly ringing as words ran through his head, the conversation only providing audio in his mind while his head conjured up the beige wall obscured by shadows he had been hidden behind when he heard them speak. 

  "Yeah," Dean forced out, his voice sounding far away to his own ears. "Didn't realize he was still ‘courting’ the old fashioned way just to mate her though.” Dean mentioned, trying to sound light and teasing but probably failing to hit the mark. “They've been together for a long time." Dean blindly took a large gulp of his beer, missing Cas's look of confusion growing. He finished off his beer, and set it down with a heavy clunk on the table. He was gonna need another one now, and preferably, right now. 

  "Dean... the girl he was seen with... Gabriel had said they've only recently started being seen together."

  Dean raised an eyebrow. “Come again?”

  "The girl Sam is courting right now? An omega?” Cas provided, his look starting to morph to concern as he took in Dean's uncomprehending feature. 

“What?” Dean breathed out, severely confused. He tried running Cas’s words in his head again, but still came up with a big blank spot of nothing when he was done. “The hell are you talking about, man? Jess is an alpha!”

  Cas frowned, shaking his head. "That…” He suddenly stilled, face going carefully blank as he continued. “The girl your brother is with now, they’ve apparently known each other for a while. But they haven’t… they only just started courting recently… after Sam's previous fiancee's death."

  The world came crashing down around Dean as he sat paralyzed in place, barely breathing. 

  "Jess... died?" 

  Cas's eyes narrowed. "Yes, something about an apartment fire - Dean, what is going on?" Cas asked urgently, leaning forward when Dean went pale. His breathing started coming out in short rapid bursts, forcing Cas stand up and round the table, coming to kneel in front of Dean. His hands were on the table and the back of Dean's chair, leaving the omega in between the circle of his arms. 

  "Deep breaths, Dean. Come on, breathe with me." He pointedly inhaled, and though Dean knew the angel was doing it more for his benefit than anything, he followed Cas's ministrations anyway, closing his eyes and gripping one of Cas's arm. 

  "My deal was to leave them alone," Dean whispered. "My freedom for theirs.  _ Both _ of theirs." He leaned forward, and didn't notice when his forehead came to a rest against Cas’s. "I must have ruined it. She killed Jess because of Alastair." He swallowed, screwing his eyes to avoid letting the tears collecting behind his eyelids to slip. 

  "You can't know that." Cas cut in, his voice low. "It was just a fire - there was nothing to indicate any demonic activities surrounding her death." 

  But Dean shook his head. “You don’t get it, Cas,” he pressed. “The deal was for them to be safe! If anything was gonna happen, they would have to stop it. So either they did this themselves, or like you said, there’s nothing demonic for the cause of the fire, but that means they didn’t bother to stop it either.”

  Cas was quiet as he processed this. “So that means the deal is off - if it is the latter?” He hastened to add, but Dean didn’t respond, his thoughts working over Cas's words. 

  “Cas. Did Gabe say when Jess died?” 

  Cas opened his mouth to reply, but then froze, cringing as he closed his mouth. 

  “Cas?” Dean tried again, his voice slightly threatening, but he was still pale, and the look in his eyes gave away his fear as he leaned back to look at Cas in the eye. 

  Cas sighed in defeat. “October. She died in October.”

  “That  _ sonofabitch. _ “ Dean took a deep breath through his, leaning forward and digging his nails into Cas's arm. Dean felt his temperature rise well along with his blood level, anger and desperation making him almost go blind as he tried to get his emotions back under control. “Fucking sonofa- I’m gonna kill her for this-“ Dean started to rise, but now it was Cas who was suddenly clamping his arm on Dean’s shoulder, pushing him down to force Dean to remain seated. 

  “Dean, calm down, and  _ listen to me _ ,” Cas pushed, making Dean to focus on the angel. “You will get nowhere if you try to leave now, and besides. Last we checked, Lilith is still deep within hell, and Gabriel is keeping an eye on her. She hasn’t come out in months, at the very least, Dean,  _ months _ .” 

  “Nonetheless, that bitch must have ordered someone to kill Jess, and I’m not gonna rest until I hunt down every single demon responsible-“

  “And do what? Send them back to hell? And to what expense, Dean, your own life?” Cas's voice softened, his voice trying to appeal to Dean to see reason. But Dean was suddenly unable to meet the angel’s eyes. 

  “My life was never worth much anyway.”

  It was the wrong thing to say, because right away, the angel was exuding all righteous fury, looking down at Dean with so much rage in his eyes that he very nearly flinched away from the man. 

  “How many times do I have to tell you? Do you still think your life - your soul - to be equivalent to so little? You are worth more than a thousand of the best men combined!” 

  Dean abruptly felt sick at Cas's words, bile rising at the back of his throat. “That’s not true man, you don’t know that, you don’t know what I’ve-“ he tried, but Cas cut him off, arms gripping Dean’s bicep so tightly it started to burn, and Cas was suddenly pulling him upright-

  “Even if it’s the last thought of my existence, Dean, it’ll still be that you are infinitely priceless,” Cas was now whispering, Dean’s body pulled so close that their chests were flush against each other. “And nothing,  _ nothing _ , will ever change that.” 

  Dean swallowed thickly, his breathing erratic as his gaze dropped down quickly before darting back up, vaguely noticing that Cas's wings were out and that his hands were already starting to reach for them, but he didn’t pay it as much attention as he did with Cas's next words. “And I will do everything in my power to make you see that, Dean. Until the day I cease to exist.”

  Dean inhaled sharply, his hands clenching unconsciously at the thought. Cas shuddered as Dean’s fingers dug deep into his wings. 

  “Don’t say that, Cas.” Dean whispered, closing his eyes and leaning forward. “You can’t just go around saying stuff like that.”

  “And why not?” Cas challenged, even though he was also closing his eyes and meeting Dean halfway through, their foreheads connecting again. “It’s the truth.”

  Dean sighed, deciding to just drop the issue. He had a feeling that if they were put up to it, both of them would have no qualms going about this for the entire day. “Whatever, man.” He pulled his fingers upwards, feathers parting in his wake as he massaged a joint in Cas's wings, absently feeling his inner omega keening with joy at how the muscles in Cas’s wings seemed to melt under his ministrations. 

  “But when Lilith is out, there’s no fucking way you’re stopping me from going at her.”

  Cas sighed. “Then I’ll follow you. Even if it is to hell and beyond.” Carefully, Cas wrapped his arms around Dean, and when that didn’t evoke any protests from the omega, he tightened his arms, pulling Dean to his chest in a hug. Dean went willingly, resting his head under Cas's chin. And despite the angel’s vessel’s steady heart breathing a rhythm for Dean’s ears, he was already plotting a way to get to the place he hadn’t visited in years now. Without being noticed by his brother. Who hated him, and everything Dean brought with him - from his omega status, or occupation as a hunter. 

  Goddamn it, Lilith deserved a fate far worse than death if Sam suspected something was amiss. 

 

oOo

 

  “Hey man!” He flinched as the beta’s hand came suddenly down on his shoulder, fighting the urge of long ingrained habits as he forced a smile in greeting. 

  “Hey.” He responded, making sure the omega could still see his face as he nodded in acknowledgement. “What’s up?”

  “Man, I could ask you that! Where’ve you been?”

  The man shrugged, trying to make it look easy and light hearted despite being annoyed at the interruption - though not so much by his friend’s appearance. “Just trying to get to know this beautiful woman better.” At that, he flashed her a genuine smile. Catching his words, she ducked down shyly, her face erupting in a beautiful shade of pink as the corner of her lips tugged up. His heartstrings tugged painfully at the sight.

  She was just a good actor, he told himself. 

  The beta shot him a leery grin. “Oh, so that’s how it’s going.” He said knowingly, and the alpha just rolled his eyes.

  “Sure, man.” He offered simply, and then pointedly looked at the beta. 

  “Alright, alright! I’m outta here. But seriously, we better have dinner tonight, it’s been too long, man.”

  The alpha frowned. “Didn’t we just have, like, a couple of beers yesterday-“

  The beta waved his hand dismissively. “Doesn’t count. Dinner. You, me, and maybe a couple others.” The beta winked at her. “You’re welcome to bring your date.” Ignoring both of their furious blushing and half hearted protests from the alpha, the beta went on, his tone firm and brooking no space for any words otherwise. “Tonight.”

  “Uh huh.” The alpha doubtfully glanced at the omega. Snorting, the beta started walking backwards. 

  “But I probably shouldn’t expect you with too high hopes tonight, though, should I.” He asked, increasing the alpha’s fluster, while the omega merely tilted her head at his words, her eyes narrowing in concentration. 

  “Nice meeting you - and I’ll see  _ you _ tonight!” The beta was already turning around before the alpha could answer, waving a hand blindly as he walked away. 

  The alpha shook his head, waiting as the man picked up his beer from the counter and exited the store before he turned back to the omega, letting go of his coffee cup. 

  “So… where were we?”

 

oOo

 

  Dean’s plans were shot to hell a few days later. He decided to lay low for a bit, trying to purposefully seek out cases closer to the west coast. However, because of that, finding a case in such a specific location was taking them longer than usual to leave Buffalo. Dean had to try and keep Cas calm and reassured and not at all suspicious by forcing himself to relax whenever the angel was outside with his bees and plants - which was everyday. While he worked, Cas would talk, and in those moments, Dean managed to glean from the angel that he would often fly off to isolated parts of the earth that were calm and peaceful, with practically no other humans - or angels - around. The idea of being away from all human interaction permanently was a bit weird to Dean, but he had to admit, the way Cas was making it sound, he was actually starting to consider asking Cas to take Dean with him the next time Cas decided to go to one of his ‘safe places’.

  But then of course, because the universe just had it out for Dean Winchester, the omega got his heat. 

  And after years of suppressing it with strong and various chemicals, his heat hit him fucking  _ hard _ , which still managed to be a severe understatement. Currently, Dean was digging his hand into his sheets, pretty sure it was being ripped apart under his nails, while furiously working at his hole in an attempt to stave off the pain wracking through his body. He’d already come once, but was no closer to getting a break any time soon, however. 

  Dean moaned, grunting as he shoved four of his fingers deeper inside, fingers grazing his prostate and making his body shudder. He grunted as slick and precome ran down his thighs, arching forward to drag his cock on the sheets in at attempt to gain friction. Slowly pulling out his hand, he rapidly thrust in again, sharp jabs aimed for that one spot, and soon, he was coming with a cry, the sheets getting wetter and more disgusting under him. 

  Dean let out a sob when the pain in his gut refused to dissipate though. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 37 

 

  “Cassie! And here I’d thought you’d forgotten me!”

  Had Castiel not been as tense as he was, he surely would have rolled his eyes. As it was, Castiel merely sidestepped the customers and slid behind the counter, making himself a coffee as black and bitter as he could make it - years of watching Gabriel work the tills taught Castiel at least the basics - strung high on nerves. Caffeine would admittedly not make matters any better  _ or  _ worse for his vessel, but unless Gabriel was willing to give him a sour experiment at that very moment, Castiel was desperate to give himself something to do. 

  His brother didn’t fail to notice Castiel’s demeanor though. “Hey, what’s wrong?” 

  Castiel sighed, his head dropping as his hands kept at their work. 

  “Dean is in heat.”

  “…Oh.”

  Gabriel paused. The alpha that Gabriel had been handing her drink to blushed, awkwardly clearing her throat. With a snap of his head, he looked back at the alpha, slipping on his patented flirtatious grin as he let her have her caffeine. Sending her off, he came to stand beside Castiel, working quickly on the next customer’s drink as Krissy, a teenage beta that Gabriel had employed part time, took the customers’ orders. 

  “So that’s why you smell so damn sweet.” Gabriel took a sniff at Castiel, as if to prove his point, and Castiel stiffened. 

  “You can smell him on me?” Castiel hissed, horrified. He had thought that the smell had just refused to leave him, deeply stuck within his head as if a repercussion for lingering too long in the room even after getting a mere whiff indicating Dean’s heat. In Castiel’s defense, he had been too busy fretting to make sure Dean had kept enough food and water - and other stuff - with him in his room to last him through the duration of his heat to actually focus on any possible arousal of his own. But the moment Dean let out a whimper and rapidly disappeared behind his room’s door, face aflame in either embarrassment or arousal - or maybe even both - Castiel had stood there for a few seconds, taking in deep breaths before coming to his senses and fleeing the apartment. 

  And yet, several floors below now, the scent still hadn’t faded. And apparently, it was because it was stuck to his  _ clothes _ . 

  “Course I can,” Gabriel replied easily, flipping a lid on top of the cup and handing it to the next customer with a wink. Grabbing the next order slip from Krissy, he ducked down to retrieve the gallon of skinny milk from the fridge before turning back to Castiel. “You smell like cinnamon and apples and then some coriander and leather. Like sugar and spice and everything nice!” He announced in a sing-song voice, a shit eating grin on his face. 

  Castiel groaned, taking a much larger gulp than necessary to temporarily drown his senses with the taste of coffee, completely focusing on the taste while simultaneously trying to blur out the details of molecules. It lasted for a few moments after swallowing, but then he found he had to take another sip again as Dean’s scent hit him square in the face again. 

  “So I’m guessing he stopped taking his pills, then?” Gabriel asked, coming closer and, in an uncharacteristic action for himself, lowered his voice cordially. 

  Castiel nodded. “Just a few days ago. I guess Dean wasn’t expecting it, which was a surprise because I thought that’s why he hadn’t found us a case yet.” Cas shrugged, downing most of his coffee and glaring at it when he realized he only had little less than a quarter of a cup left. “Still. It’s a good thing we were here instead of on the road.”

  Gabriel hummed in agreement. For a while, they were silent as Castiel let Gabriel tend to his customers, quietly staying out of the way except to occasionally come back in and refill his coffee. When there was a lull in the crowd, Gabriel made his way over to the coffee machine to start brewing a separate cup, adding seemingly random ingredients before finally thrusting it at Castiel. The alpha raised his eyebrows questioningly even as he took it, replacing it with his undoubtedly comparatively bland coffee cup with it. The moment he took a sip, Castiel took a deep breath. It was exactly what he needed, the right amount of molecules to distract him from Dean’s scent. 

  But thinking about it wasn’t really helping matters, actually. 

  “Gabriel,” Castiel abruptly broke the silence, desperate to distract himself and also curious as another thought struck him. “I know we’ve just talked about this only recently, but have you gotten any news on Lilith?” His words had an instantaneous dampening effect, as Gabriel turned to him with a far more serious look than before. 

  “Sorry, Cassie. But she’s still underground. Apart from her lackies doing the usual crossroads contracts, there isn’t any news of her coming out to blast Dean for killing her torturer extraordinaire.”

  Castiel growled, his grip tightening on his cup to the extent that it threatened to spill onto his hands. “The moment she comes out, I’ll kill her with my bare hands for what she did to Dean.” 

  Gabriel looked at him worriedly, his eyes flicking over to Krissy, who was thankfully far enough away, cleaning the tables, so she couldn’t hear them. “Technically it was Alastair - whom you’ve already smote in case I gotta remind you -”

  “Under Lilith’s orders!” Castiel cut in, almost urgently. He tried to ignore the guilt at Gabriel’s words, reminded yet again that it was still his fault that they had to move all the way to New York in the first place, but he had a feeling Gabriel saw through him anyway.  The archangel was definitely intuitive like that. Castiel took a deep breath. “Just like it was under her orders that Jessica Moore died.”

  Gabriel tilted his head. “You told Dean?”

  Castiel shook his head, sparing a confused glance at Gabriel for that. “No - why would I? He’s already stressed enough as it is, I didn’t want to concern him further. But the fact that Jessica Moore is even dead, he has his own doubts. I don’t want him in danger, Gabriel... but I don’t feel comfortable keeping anything from him. So I’d rather this situation be resolved as soon as possible.”

  Gabriel nodded. “Like I told you, Cassie. I’ll keep you informed. But since there’s not much we can do right now... you should tend to your omega.”

  Castiel groaned, instantly reminded of everything he was trying to forget at that moment. “He’s not my omega!” 

  Gabriel smirked. “Sure, Cassie. Whatever you say, Cassie.”

 

oOo

 

  Honestly, Dean wasn’t even enjoying his arousal anymore. Not that he was in the beginning, but now, his dick was so chafed and sensitive from all the friction it had been getting, and his cunt as sore as if he had just given birth - though that might have been a bit inaccurate, seeing as Dean hadn’t even gotten pregnant before - that he just. Wanted. It all. To stop. 

  But his heat was still hitting him pretty damn hard, so much so that Dean found himself slumped on his bed, eyes half lidded as he bordered on passing out from exhaustion, weak fingers still trying to work at his hole but really causing him more pain than relief. 

  Dean whimpered, his eyes rolling as another wave of pain hit him. His other hand weakly grasped at the sheets, and swallowing - his mouth was too dry for there to even be any saliva - he reached out for the water bottle...

  Only to find it empty. 

  Dean groaned, pressing his face into the sheets in irritation. His nose wrinkled at the intense smell of sweat and slick, and it soon became overwhelming enough for him to push himself up, desperately holding on to his bed and then the nightstand to make sure he didn’t fall over before he was even completely upright. 

  Using the wall as a support, he made his way to his wardrobe, pulling out a robe he didn’t even remember owning. Putting it on, he bothered to tie it up only loosely, a half hearted attempt at best with weak fingers. Starting for the door next, Dean was still relying on the walls to keep him upright. Leaving his room door open, he set for the kitchen, passing by Cas's door and pausing, grimacing when the scent of the alpha temporarily abated some of his pain. 

  “Motherf...” he forced himself to move on, not noticing how the alpha’s scent was getting stronger. So perhaps that was why Dean was so surprised, that when he entered the kitchen, he found Cas standing there chopping vegetables, and most definitely not downstairs with Gabriel. 

  “Oh, fuck.” Dean’s knees buckled as the alpha’s scent hit him full on. In a flash, Cas was at his side, face paling and mouth pressing into a thin line as he took Dean’s weight. He gently pulled Dean to one of the barstools at the island. 

  Seated on it, Dean let himself faceplant the counter, the cool granite soothing to his skin as he hugged his waist. A fresh wave of slick of was pouring out of him, and he groaned when he realized that it was most likely Cas's presence triggering it. And yet, it was the best Dean’d felt in the past few days though. Which was why he wasn’t really tempted to move much after that. 

  “Cas, buddy. You’ve gotta do something.” Dean begged, thirst forgotten as he pushed himself up to look with pleading eyes at Cas. The alpha’s nostrils flared as he scented the air, not meeting Dean’s eyes when he responded. 

  “You know I can’t.” Cas responded softly. 

  Dean groaned. “C’mon, man. Can’t you at least just, I dunno, make it go away.” He wiggled his fingers, noting his pruny fingers with a note of disgust and hastily crossed his arms, tucking his fingers out of sight. 

  Cas sighed, leaning against the counter he had been cutting the vegetables on. “I’d rather not risk tampering any further with your bodily functions, Dean. You haven’t had a heat in years, and as painful as it may be, it’s best if you could just ride it out so your body can start on the healing process.”

  Dean let his head fall against the counter. “I’ve been doing nothing but riding it out!” He barely managed to not yell, but it was still a close thing. As it was, the burst of anger that managed to escape him was accompanied with another flare of pain, his body telling him  _ mateclosertouchfillneednowwantlust _ and Dean moaned as more slick ran down his thighs. His robe, which he had only worn in plans to get refreshments before hightailing it back to his room immediately, was definitely not thick enough to last him another minute, and the seat was next in getting stained if he didn’t leave soon. 

  But because he had his head down, Dean missed when Cas suddenly stiffened, the sound and scent of his mate in pain bringing out Cas’s inner alpha - and making his wings erupt into the physical plane. 

  “Dean.” 

  Cas's strange tone made Dean lift his head up, and his eyes widened when he took in Cas's wings spreading out, covering almost the entire counter and wall behind Cas. 

  “You should probably go.” Cas closed his eyes, and it was clear that he had stopped breathing. But Dean narrowed his eyes, getting up. 

  “No.” Dean stood up, ignoring the feeling of his slick running down his thighs. “You know what? I came here to get something to drink. I’m not leaving without it.” He crossed his arms stubbornly, and when Cas opened his eyes in surprise, Dean smirked, raising his eyebrows expectantly. 

  With a small sigh and a shake of his head, Cas moved to the fridge, taking out a couple of water bottles. He came over and stood a few feet away, holding out the water bottles by the lids from where he stood, a good distance from Dean. 

  Dean’s eyebrows stayed up as he pointedly looked at the water bottles being offered by an outstretched arm, to the body attached to said arm. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed on to the water bottles, but with his other hand, he yanked on Cas's wrists, making the surprised angel stumble forward, wings flapping as he fought to straighten himself, the water bottles falling to the kitchen floor. But before Cas regained his balance, Dean was shoving his nose to Cas's neck, taking in a deep breath and letting his eyes fall closed when the pain in his guts started to abate. 

  “God, you smell so damn good.” His mouth was actually starting to water. Dean swallowed thickly, his fingers tightening on the front of Cas's shirt, but continued to breathe in the scent anyway. If this was all it took to keep the pain at bay, well then. He’d definitely take it. And that shouldn’t have to be too hard convincing Cas. 

  Well. Dean hoped. 

  “Dean, I-“ Cas's hands came up to Dean’s shoulders, starting to apply pressure in an attempt to push him away, but Dean instead pressed himself closer to Cas's body, his own lighting up at the close contact. 

  “Don’t leave me.” Dean whispered, clamping his mouth shut. When he was sure the urge to lick Cas's neck passed - because that would have outright pushed Cas away and  _ that _ really wouldn’t have helped matters - he opened his mouth again. “Just. You don’t have to do anything. Just stay with me though? Like this?” 

  He could feel Cas give in, his body reluctantly relaxing as Cas let go of Dean’s shoulders, hesitantly runnings his fingers down Dean’s arms before letting his hands fall to his side. Dean huffed, rolling his eyes again as he let go of Cas's shirt to reach down and grab Cas's hands. He placed them on his hips, waiting until he was sure Cas would keep them there before reaching back to this time loop his arms around Cas's neck, bringing Dean all the more closer to the source of that exquisite smell. 

  “You can hug me back, you know.” Dean mumbled, nosing the curve of Cas's neck. He smiled lightly when he felt the alpha shudder against him. “I won’t bite.” At the thought, he felt his canines extend, and he immediately shut his mouth, not daring to open it again. But his mouth was still watering, and there was no way he was letting go of Cas right now, not when the alpha was the only thing bringing peace to his otherwise wrecked body. 

  Cas sighed, louder now that it was against Dean’s ear. His hands tightened against Dean’s hips, before he was cautiously moving them so that his arms were encircling the man instead. 

  “You should probably lie down.” Cas muttered, running a soothing hand up and down Dean’s back. Dean gasped, trying not to arch into the touch as he felt even more slick running down his thighs, the floor where he was standing at threatening to get slippery any moment now. The spot where Cas touched his skin, even through the robe, was making him feel like someone was pouring buckets of cold water over the heated skin, evoking a more than just a relieving sensation. 

  “Bed’s disgusting,” Dean breathed heavily, his nose firmly against Cas's neck as he drowned himself in the scene of rainwater and freshly cut grass and a crisp tone to it all hinting at lightning... “Needa change the sheets.”

  Cas hummed, and the next thing he knew, a hand was under Dean’s thigh, pulling, until, with a small yelp, Dean jumped, wrapping his legs around the alpha’s waist. Cas didn’t even falter at the added weight, already moving out of the kitchen. With a groan, Dean rested his forehead against the side of Cas's head. 

  “You’re making it harder for me to not want to do anything to you.” Dean muttered, but still clutched on to Cas tightly, not without an ounce of fear, as Cas turned the corner and maneuvered them through a doorway. “You better not drop me.”

  Cas's genuine tone shocked Dean, even though he was slowly being lowered on to what felt - and smelled - like a cleaner bed. But the room was unfamiliar, yet Dean couldn’t take his eyes off of Cas's piercing blue ones to look around. “Never, Dean.” It was as if he was answering an unasked question, Cas's eyes not once leaving Dean’s. Dean was on the bed, his legs spread as Cas came to lie in between them. Dean groaned slightly as Cas gently covered Dean’s body with his own, his wings coming around to cradle Dean’s side and blocking his sight from everything else. “Never.” Dean gasped, desperately reaching out for Cas's hands. He found them at his hips, and he was instantly intertwining their fingers, swallowing down more saliva while his slick already started to stain Cas's sheets under them. But being surrounded by everything that was Cas, Dean could finally let himself fall into a more peaceful and much needed sleep, his alpha with him and watching over Dean the entire time. 

 

oOo

 

  After that, Cas didn’t leave Dean’s side, especially when they hadn’t exactly done anything. Except touch. And hug. And essentially cuddle - though Dean would deny that last one to his dying breath. Cas's wings were out the entire time, though for the most part, they were neatly folded against his back whenever they weren’t wrapped around Dean. But it mostly was like that just for Dean’s heat, because by the fifth day, he could already start to feel it dying down, and on the sixth, Dean could tolerate not being in Cas's presence long enough to shower off all the sticky bodily fluids from his skin. With the seventh day’s dawning, he was upright and cooking his own breakfast, desperate for something to do. But Cas still didn’t really leave him on his own for long, and right now, he was sitting at the island, watching as Dean gracefully moved through the kitchen, unconsciously preparing food for the both of them. 

  “You look a lot better.” Cas observed, and Dean snorted. 

  “Yeah. Feel a lot better too. It’s like I forgot how it felt like to not be in heat. Seven days can do that to an omega,” Dean shook his head, tossing the cut vegetables in a pot. Over the hissing noise, he turned around to exclaim to Cas. “I mean, a week! That’s like, almost more than double the amount an omega usually goes into heat for, and I had to go through all the double of everything,” Dean shuddered. He loved sex. But heats, Dean wasn’t a fan of. Not as a child, not as a hunter, and definitely not in the past few years. It was hard enough when Dean didn’t have an actual alpha to share it with, but when Alastair was his mate, it undoubtedly would have gone worse if he spent it with him. Chances of getting pregnant with a demonic baby were higher too, birth control pills be damned. So, heat suppressants it was. 

  But yeah, Cas being there was a fuckton of help... but Dean’d be perfectly happy if he didn’t have to deal with pruny fingers or a sore cunt and sensitive cock for at least a few days. 

  “No,” Cas shook his head slightly, his eyes still trained on Dean’s. “I mean, you actually look healthier than before your heat. Your body must have flushed everything out to get your systems back in order. Perhaps that’s the reason why the extended period of time and pain of your heat.” Cas reasoned. His head tilting to the side. 

  Dean looked down, his face starting to burn, feeling rather uncomfortable. He turned around and checked the oven. The honeyed bread was rising elegantly. “Still sucked though.” He muttered, his face aflame. He heard Cas hum behind him, and then the barstool creaking as Cas stood up, coming to stand beside Dean. 

  “Shall I set the table?” Cas asked, his voice low as his arm brushed against Dean’s. His movements stuttering, Dean turned to face Cas, finding him a lot closer than he’d thought. 

  “Ah, no.” He took a deep breath. God, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to get tired of the scent of fresh air even when indoors. “Why don’t we sit outside? I don’t think I’ve seen the sun in days.”

  And if the the two deck chairs on the balcony were positioned a lot closer to the point that the arms were basically overlapping, then neither men acknowledged it. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 38

 

**_Brooklyn, New York_ **

**_Mid-Late December, 2009_ **

 

  Dean grunted, yanking the blade out from the dragon and letting it’s corpse fall to the floor with a thud. Grinning triumphantly, he turned to face Cas, watching as the man obliterated the padlock on the gate and let the caged betas free. 

  “C’mon-this way!”

  Dean led the betas out of the tunnels, keeping his eyes peeled even though he knew that that had been the last of the dragons kidnapping the betas for whatever virgin sacrifice or gory spell they had been planning. With Cas keeping the rear, they quickly made their way out of the tunnels without incident, blinking at the sunlight when they eventually crawled out. Instructing the betas on what to say and do, they watched the group quickly disperse, walking into the public with relieved faces as they embraced the open air. 

  “Should I be concerned over the amount of glee you displaced when murdering that dragon back there?” Cas muttered from his side. 

  Dean snorted, glancing at Cas from the side of his eyes. “Give me a break. I’ve been cooped up at home for more than a week,” he grinned widely as he stretched out his arms, blade still in hand. “It feels awesome to be back in the game.”

  “I’m sure.” Cas replied dryly. With the last of the betas gone, they started to make their way to the Impala. 

  “So now that I’ve proved that I’m fit for fighting and all, can you please stop it with the lockdown and can we please go on that hunt in Detroit?” Dean exclaimed with a roll of his eyes, expressing his mild - ok, more than mild - annoyance at having to ask for permission. He popped up the trunk and the false button to toss in the blade, Cas eying him as they walked to the front of the car, before they got into their respective seats. 

  “I would, if I weren’t convinced that you only want to go there because there’s signs of a demonic activity.” He pointed out. 

  “Exactly!” Dean exclaimed. “Demonic activity - who else is going to take care of it?”

  Cas narrowed his eyes. “And this has nothing to do with Lilith?”

  Dean swallowed, suddenly not meeting Cas's eyes as he turned forward, turning on the car with harsh movements. 

  “No.”

  He could practically sense the skeptical state Cas shot him at that. “I almost believed you.”

  That garnered a surprised burst of laughter from Dean, and he glanced over at Cas despite himself. “Wow. I’m really rubbing off on you.”

  Cas muttered something unintelligible at that, but Dean didn’t bother asking for clarification. Reversing out from the alleyway, he glanced at Cas with a cheeky grin. 

  “So. Detroit. With the two of us, you’d think we be able to handle it, right?”

  Cas sighed. “There’s nothing I can say that will dissuade you, is there?”

  Dean’s grin grew wider, recognizing it for the reluctant acquiescence it was. “Nope.” He replied, already turning into the highway. The moment he was driving steadily, his right hand let go of the wheel, reaching over to clasp Cas's left in his own. Intertwining their fingers, Dean settled against the seat, feeling a sense of peacefulness overcoming him as he drove on with his alpha by him. 

 

oOo

 

**_Detroit, Michigan_ **

**_Mid-Late December, 2009_ **

 

  They arrived at Detroit near midnight, so the first thing they did was check in to the nearest motel with a vacancy sign. While Cas stood by the car, Dean went inside to get them a room, and by the time he came back out, carrying a single key for a room with only a king, he was masking his embarrassment with a smirk, having donned it the entire time. 

  But the moment they entered their room, it fell away, replaced with how he was genuinely feeling - nervous and anxious that maybe Cas would be offended or pull out the ‘ _ but Angels don’t need sleep, Dean _ ’ card. Which, no matter how many times Cas would easily slide into bed without a word or a judgmental look or anything - like that night - Dean would never get used to it. Just like he’d never get used to the feeling of being pressed within the warm comfort of his alpha’s arms, the angel’s wings coming out instinctively and wrapping around Dean, one of the omega’s hands clutching at Cas's neck and the other digging its fingers into Cas's wings. The alpha’s rumblings and omega’s purring of content was hidden away in the darkness of the night. 

 

oOo

 

**_Epicurus Restaurant of Wayne Street_ **

 

  “So traces of demonic activity were around here.” Dean circled a place on the map in front of them with his finger, waiting for Cas to lean in before he grabbed on to his burger and bit into it instead. “Kinda sacrilegious, don’t you think?”

  Cas leaned back into his seat, a simple cup of coffee in front of him that sat there neglected. He frowned, blinking for a moment, as his gaze grew unfocused. 

  Dean stared at him, burger frozen in midair. “You alright there, buddy? You’re starting to look just the slightest bit constipated.”

  Cas focused back on Dean, his gaze growing slightly irritated. “I just tried to check the place out.”

  Dean blinked. “Uh. Ok. You realize we’ve actually gotta get up and leave this place first to get there?” He asked skeptically, but Cas shook his head.  

  “I just tried to fly there, Dean.” Cas pressed, his words heavy with it’s significance. “But something’s stopping me. I can’t fly, and I don’t think I can use any of my grace either.”

  “So, what, you’re just a baby in a trench coat?” Dean asked. Honestly, he was bewildered - and more than just a little bit concerned - as to what could possibly be strong enough to suppress even an angel’s grace. Surely...

  Cas's frown deepened. He looked like he was about to reply, but instead, closed his mouth and simply looked away. Exasperated, Dean let his burger fall back on his plate, but he could smell the unease radiating from the alpha across from him, and he knew he wasn’t doing a really good job from preventing his own worry from leaking out of his scent glands. 

  “Well. We’ll just have to make do with the human way.” He tried to shoot Cas a cheeky grin, but it failed when the angel refused to even meet his eyes. Dragging a hand over his face, Dean poked at his burger weakly, appetite mostly diminished. “Man, don’t worry - we’ll prepare ourselves for whatever’s there the good old fashioned way; knives swinging, guns blazing, and a whole tankful of holy water at the ready.” Dean muttered. He looked up when he felt the heat of Cas's stare on him, raising his eyebrows as he wondered if now the angel would talk. 

  “Stealth would be far more wise in this situation, especially when we don’t know what we’re walking into.” Cas retorted. 

  Dean sighed. “Yeah. But that doesn’t change the fact that you still won’t be able to smite any demons, will you?”

  Cas's glare intensified, but he still looked way too troubled for Dean’s comfort, even as they left the restaurant. 

 

oOo

 

  “Yeah, there isn’t anything foreboding about this at all.” Dean muttered dryly, eyes on the abandoned church in front of them as he bent down to arm himself. Cas was standing by him, an intense scrutinizing look on his face making him narrow his eyes until they were tiny slits, as if he had laser vision and could see what was going on the building. That, though, would have been extremely, genuinely helpful right now. 

  “This building is heavily warded. I’m guessing that’s also the sole source of why my grace is probably not working.” Cas returned. He looked down when Dean nudged him with the hilt of a gun, and instead of taking it, he only frowned in confusion. 

  “I don’t need this. I have my angel blade.” To prove his point, he flicked his wrist, and said blade was suddenly sliding into his hand, seemingly coming down from his sleeve. Dean raised his eyebrows at that. 

  “Angel... blade.” He looked pointedly at Cas with a smirk, but when Cas only tilted his head at him, his grin grew wider and more mischievous. “What, you sure that’s been hiding up your sleeve the entire time?” Dean finally asked, now curious instead, though not without a hint of cheekiness. 

  “No. I summoned it into this physical plane of existence.” Cas replied simply. 

  “So you can summon stuff but not use your grace?” Before Cas could respond though, Dean shook his head, suddenly aware of the time ticking unrepentantly. “C’mon, at least for my peace of mind.” He held out the gun again. “Guns are better than blades in the long range anyway. And besides. These guys-” Dean held up the gun with a proud smirk. “Demon traps carved into the bullets,” he explained. “It’ll keep the demons from using their mojo, and they’ll be as good as you. But easier to knock down.” Dean hastened to add, before he unwittingly offended the angel. Well, anymore than he might’ve already for the day. “Just take it, Cas.” He pressed the gun against Cas's chest, ignoring the flutter at his fingertips as they connected to the angel’s warm torso. With a begrudging exhale, Cas twisted the blade - and with that motion, it was suddenly gone from view again. He took the gun from Dean’s hands, their fingers brushing none too gently, and with a satisfied smirk that hid how much he longed to make that simple touch into something more, Dean turned back to his trunk, adding a few more weapons to his body before slamming the fake bottom along with the actual trunk door closed.

  “C’mon.”

  Locking the doors, Dean pocketed his keys, swapping it for his gun and cocking it readily. One last look around the premises, and they were on their way, Dean taking the lead as usual, with Cas close on his heels. 

  They crept into the church within a few minutes, the only obstruction a rusty padlock at the backdoor.  Dean picked the old thing within seconds, and then they were in, Dean blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting even as they kept moving. 

  They were just rounding a corner when Dean rapidly drew back, an arm flung out to push Cas against the wall. The two kept silent as a person walked past, and even if Cas wasn’t mouthing demon to him, Dean probably would have figured it out, what with all the punk, goth clad teenage girl in a locked down church, smelling of rotten eggs. And - oh yeah, the completely black eyes as she turned and met Dean’s stare. 

  Cas was on her in seconds, a hand clamping over her mouth as he stabbed her with his angel blade, gun nowhere in sight. Despite his senses yelling at him to keep a lookout, Dean couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight of the demon’s meat suit lighting up red from the inside, like a pumpkin on Halloween. The body, now lifeless, slumped in Cas's arms, and he yanked the blade out, dragging the body over to the wall so it wouldn’t be as obvious in case someone else happened to pass by by. 

  “Huh. Guess those things do work.” Dean managed, appraisingly, and Cas shot him a knowingly smug look. But he didn’t say anything else, and neither did Dean.

  Nodding, Dean took the lead again. This time, they didn’t come across anyone else until they reached the front of the church. To the side, there was a door, and Dean hazarded a guess that it led to the mausoleum underground. 

  “Can you sense anything?” Dean asked. As far as he could smell, the church was empty, but the faint smell of rotten eggs still lingered in the air. It was enough for Dean to know that they weren’t alone. 

  Cas stilled, his eyes carefully taking in the church as he clearly listened for something. His eyes came to a stop on the mausoleum door, and he tilted his chin towards it. “There.”

  The door creaked when they opened it, obviously, and the noise echoed throughout the building. Dean highly doubted demons were ever deaf, so so much for stealth. And yet they didn’t bother rushing down the stairs, on high alert as they raised their weapons to be at the ready... 

  But nothing.  _ Nothing _ . Not even the weeks he had mentally gone over possible scenarios where this could have happened, not even  _ that _ could have prepared Dean for the sight he was met with. 

  A blonde alpha in heels had her back to them, inspecting the tomb along the opposite wall with her head tilted. At the small sound of Dean’s sharp inhale, amplified in the empty hall, she turned around, her white teeth glinting in the light cast from a side window near the ceiling as she grinned largely. 

  “Well, hello there, Dean.” She called out, a faux look of shock on her face, as if she truly hadn’t been expecting Dean at all but was pleased to see him anyway. But it abruptly vanished, the corner of her lips turning downwards as her face turned outright murderous. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  Dean breathed out, feeling lightheaded. Behind him, Cas stiffened. 

  “Lilith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what y'all think? :D :D :D  
> I'll try and make sure I get this on time next week as well, really, I will, BUT on the off chance I don't - blame it on math, math, and more math. :l


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe.. so.. thought id post this after i finish my homework. Looked up, its midnight wednesday, still not done with homework, but already feel guilty that i didn't just do this earlier. sorry for the slight delay  
> BTW BIG ANNOUNCEMENT WE ARE NEARING THE END look at that GOT maybe... FOUR CHAPTERS LEFT OMG oh my god...

Sweet Stop - Chapter 39

_ “Well, hello there, Dean.” She called out, a faux look of shock on her face, as if she truly hadn’t been expecting Dean at all but was pleased to see him anyway. But it abruptly vanished, the corner of her lips turning downwards as her face turned outright murderous. “Fancy seeing you here.” _

_   Dean breathed out, feeling lightheaded. Behind him, Cas stiffened.  _

_   “Lilith.” _

  “Yes, one amongst my many names.” Lilith grinned, lazily walking closer towards them, her heels clacking loudly on the floor. Dean was ready to point his gun at her, but she merely raised her hands as if in surrender, coming to a stop in the middle of the mausoleum, several feet away from them.

  “You were in hell,” Cas cut in, his voice carefully blank. “How could you have gotten out without managing to trigger any of the alarms we had set?”

  Lilith laughed, loud and fake, the sound bouncing off the walls. “Oh, please. You’d think that I, Lucifer’s first, would have trouble dealing with that?” She exclaimed, her eyes sliding from Dean to Cas. Which - hang on a second,  _ Lucifer _ now? “I’m practically the queen of hell, and honey,” her eyes flashed dangerously. “I don’t take too kindly with modifications of my kingdom that I didn’t approve of.” She raised her hand, and the next thing Dean knew, Cas was airborne, colliding with the wall, a grunt escaping his lips. 

  Dean turned back to Lilith, finally raising his gun and was about to shoot, but Lilith immediately turned to him. With one hand still pointed at Cas, the other raised a threatening finger towards Dean, stopping him in his movements. Dean’s throat worked furiously as he struggled to breathe, his gun dropping to the ground as he collapsed to knees, grasping weakly at his throat though there was nothing there.

  “Why don’t you just take a breather,  _ darling, _ while I deal with your pet here.” She turned back to Cas, either ignoring or missing the glint in Dean’s eyes. He started reaching for the gun that had fallen only several inches away, but was distracted when Cas was suddenly groaning and then gasped, eyes flying open with shock clearly displayed in them. His body was being lifted in tandem with Lilith’s outstretched hand until he was pinned to the ceiling, and when he coughed, a small trickle of blood escaped his mouth.

  “Let him go, you bitch.” Dean rasped, eyes glaring daggers at her even as his hands returned to his throat.

  Lilith turned to look at him, her gaze calculating as she regarded him silently. Finally, with a lazy,  “ _ Fine _ ,” Cas fell back on the ground, weakly getting on all fours and coughing harshly as he spit out more blood.

  “How about we talk about the elephant in the room then.” She turned back to face Dean, and suddenly, her hand formed a fist, and Dean was now bent over, barely able to hear Lilith’s words as his body convulsed. “You went back on your deal, Dean. Really, I should have just dragged you to hell by your toenails.”

  “So why didn’t you?” Dean gasped, forcing the words out. “Why’d you have to kill Jess, bitch?”

  “Why, to teach you a lesson of course. I admit, I was hoping to get rid of that new arm candy of Sam’s, and everyone close to you first, before gunning for Sam.” Lilith drawled, but her eyes gleamed as she abruptly turned back to Cas. Dean abruptly felt his guts turn uneasily in his stomach, and it wasn’t just from the lack of proper oxygen intake or the fact that he was now drooling blood. 

  “But this will have to do just fine.” Lilith said, her voice out of the blue soft as she walked over to Cas. The powerless angel was pinned to the wall again, and he strained to get away when Lilith bent closer, running her nose along Cas's neck and taking a deep breath. 

  Cas growled warningly. Dean punched the floor. “Get away from him.” 

  Lilith ignored him, drawing back. From their positions, Dean couldn’t see her face, but it wasn’t very pleasant to begin with anyway. So it should have been a reprieve, but truthfully, it just didn’t help him know what Lilith was planning to do - at least for the next second - when he couldn’t see her. “You smell mated, and yet,” Without turning her body, she glanced back at Dean, her eyes roving over him. “You haven’t... mated him? Well, isn’t that a whole new treat in its own!” The way she said that, it sounded like someone told her Christmas had come early. Or, well. Like she’d gained several hundred souls for hell or something. But then again, there was nothing that wasn’t ominous about her. 

  “You know, there’s so many ways I could go about this, but I’m going to keep it simple.” Out of nowhere, she was suddenly holding a knife, the blade glinting dangerously. “I’m going to kill your pet lover here, Dean. And then I’m going to kill you. And Sam’s mate. And friends. And anyone and everyone else that you ever even  _ looked _ at.” She hissed at Dean, before turning back and harshly slicing at Cas's stomach. 

  “No!” 

  Dean gasped, wrenching his body forward, but Lilith immediately flung an arm back without even looking, holding Dean back in place. He tilted, falling on his side, clawing at the ground as he struggled to keep his eyes trained on Cas. There was a line of red blooming on Cas's pristine white shirt, and though Cas had only let out a grunt in pain, the angel refused to show any emotion. His face was blank as ever as he glared at Lilith, and Dean prayed for Cas to look at him.

  “You sonofabitch, your fight is with me! Do whatever you want to me - wasn’t that the deal?” Dean yelled, and that made Lilith turn, her gaze skeptical. 

  “Mm, the deal which  _ you _ broke.” She reminded, her stare pointed. But Dean narrowed his eyes, fighting to push himself upright. Her hold must have relented somewhat, because he was able to get back on his knees. Not ideal, but better than the angle from when he was all close and comfortable with the musty floor that was now stained with blood. 

  “Well, honey, if we’re gonna talk about who started it first, I’d like to point out that it was you who wanted to do god knows what with Sam.” Dean bargained. From the corner of his eye, he could see Cas breathing heavily, his angel blade sliding down his hand slowly to avoid making any noise. He was still pinned to the wall though, so he ended up hiding it behind the fold of his trench coat. Dean refused to look at him directly and give him away. “And it’s been years-“

  “We made a lifetime deal.”

  “Yet you still want Sam?”

  “We’re patient creatures, Dean.” Lilith finished, ironically starting to look anything but that as she stood in front of him now. “You people actually got it mixed up.” Her voice was laced with irritation. “Yes, we would like to hurry and get to our goals quickly, but for the ultimate price?” She turned back to Cas, slowly walking towards him again. 

  “We’re willing to do  _ anything _ .” Like a dart, she threw the knife, even as she walked forwards, and when she reached Cas, she pushed the heel of her palm to the hilt of the blade, burying it deeper into Cas's gut. 

  Dean yelled, throwing himself forward, but still unable to move far because of Lilith’s hold. But it didn’t matter, because the next second, Cas regained his breath, already starting to look like he was about to blackout when Dean saw his arm move like a shot, and then the tip of his blade was poking out of Lilith’s back. 

  Lilith gasped, gurgling, her back arching as her body lit up. Dean could hear the crackling and hissing noises as the life drained out from her. Cas let go, his arm slumping to the ground, letting her body fall limplessly to the ground. Blood immediately pooled under her. 

  Dean fell to a heap on the ground, Lilith’s hold on him now gone. He was up within seconds, catching Cas just as Cas himself about to meet the ground. 

  “Hey, hey! Buddy, c’mon, stay with me, man!” Dean grunted, Cas's body dragging him down anyway, leaving him to cradle the man’s head in an effort to at least cushion it from the fall. “Cas.” Dean’s voice cracked, and he glanced hopelessly at the wound in Cas's torso, looking back to see Cas's eyes losing focus. 

  “Wards...” Cas rasped. “Can’t... heal.”

  Which, oh.  _ Shit. _ Right. 

  “Yeah, okay. Stay with me buddy.” Dean stood up, groaning as lifted Cas into his arms in a bridal style lift. He had about five minutes tops before he collapsed, but right now, all Dean cared about was getting Cas out of this damn state so that he could heal himself up. “Everything’s gonna be okay. Just stay with me.” 

  Dean left Lilith behind, not even offering her corpse one last glance as he headed straight for the stairs. The journey back up was torture, Cas practically deadweight - no, Dean refused to think of Cas like that - in his arms causing his muscles to stain, even as he pushed his body past its limit. Each step had him quivering, taking way longer than necessary for him to regain his balance before he could move to the next step. It was taking too long, too long, and Dean just wanted out. He just wanted Cas to be safe again, to not have to worry about him, for them to just get back in bed, wrapped around each other’s scents...

  It was to these thoughts that Dean finally reached the top of the landing, breathing heavily with sweat pouring down his pits, back, and thighs. His legs were screaming for mercy. And yet, he pushed on, the flattened ground making it easier for him to rush out into the church, to the back, and finally exiting the way they came, barely keeping an eye out for stray demons, praying they wouldn’t encounter any though anyway, because like  _ hell  _ was Dean gonna be able to take care of them now. Dean kept his focus on his destination, trying to distract himself into making the distance go by faster even as he felt his fingers starting to lose their grip. 

  Getting Cas's uncooperative body into the car was a bitch to even figure out. Dean didn’t wanna let go of Cas's body, but he really didn’t have a choice, if he wanted to open the car door any time soon. But the thought of just placing Cas's body on the gravel road was definitely not appealing, so Dean wasn’t gonna resort to it unless he absolutely had to. Besides, he had a feeling that if he put Cas down now, he wasn’t gonna be able to lift him again anytime soon. 

  “Cas?” Dean tried, his knees bending as they threatened to give out. Groaning, he took another step forward, until the side of Cas's body was pressed against the car, letting Dean push his hands against Baby, Cas between him and the Impala, shifting the weight in his arms in an attempt to alleviate the pain by trying to free his legs from their burden. He knew people normally started complaining about body pains around their middle age, and it’d be a wonder if hunters didn’t begin even earlier, but honestly, the amount of stress Dean had to face himself was enough to make him feel like a 60 year old man on bad days, and right now was definitely not helping his joints. “C’mon, Cas, I need you to wake up.” Dean muttered, his voice growing more urgent as he felt his knees bend far too much, to the point that he was this close to crouching. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, and Dean grit his teeth as he tried to readjust his grip on Cas. 

  “Cas!” The angel’s eyes started to flicker under his eyelids, and Dean let out a relieved exhale, even as his breathing became erratic. 

  “That’s it, yeah. Open your eyes, buddy.” Dean crooned encouragingly, waiting. Agonizing seconds passed before Cas's eyes cracked open to tiny slits. He looked unfocused, but it was enough for Dean to grin reassuringly, despite doubting if Cas could actually see it. “Look man, I need you to stand for a sec - can you do that for me?” 

  Cas blinked, his tongue peeking out to lick at his lips as he attempted to speak. Any other moment, and Dean would have been completely entranced with the sight. As it was, he just prayed that the angel would hurry up and stand on his own two feet - and lean against the Impala, or hell, even him, as long as he could free his damn hands - for a bit, and  _ fast _ .

  “Dean?” Cas finally managed, just as Dean’s arms decided to stop working. 

  “Yeah, okay, I’m just gonna put you down now.” Dean said, deciding that Cas's slurred response was as good as any. He bent down at the waist, a pained moan ripping free from his throat at the movement, and it was echoed by a gasp of pain from Cas as the angel was forced to depend on his own limbs. Working quickly, Dean moved to unlock the doors, wrenching the key from the lock and opening the back door just as a bout of dizziness hit him. He stretched a hand out to lean against the Impala, taking deep, steadying breaths. He only stayed in the position long enough to regain his bearings, before he was moving again, opening the door and helping Cas lie down instead. Blatantly ignoring the ringing in his ears - and yeah, that was a fucking bell announcing that something was very wrong right there - he tried to make sure Cas was as comfortable as he could get, swallowing uncomfortably as his guts twisted even more so at the sight of Cas's sopping red stained shirt. Slamming the door shut with another glance at Cas, Dean got into the driver’s seat. 

Trying to blink away the rapidly forming black spots in his vision, Dean started driving. He didn’t stop even after they left Detroit, though he knew that by now Cas should have by all means started healing, and his entire being itched with wanting to just slam the breaks and check on Cas the moment he drove past the sign wishing them to visit Detroit again soon. But he resolutely strengthened his resolve and willpower to keep driving, to not stop just yet, just several more hours and then he could give in, check on Cas, and maybe sleep for a bit as well...

 

oOo

 

**_Buffalo, New York._ **

**_Late December, 2009_ **

 

  “You look like shit.” 

  Castiel blinked his eyes open, disregarding the sun shining directly through the window and happening to land on his eyes. His grace was immediately summoned to his fingertips the moment he realized he was conscious, but it was only the knowledge that the voice belonged to his brother that he didn’t strike out. As it was, the familiar tingling sensation of power itching to be released from his vessel was a relief, though he couldn’t quite put a finger on why...

  “Dean!” Castiel was instantly upright, taking in the room within seconds. His brother was abruptly at his side, pressing a calming hand on his shoulder. 

  “Relax, Cassie. Dean-o’s awake.” Gabriel reassured. Gabriel calmly waited until Castiel was forced to meet his eyes for answers before he continued. “Found you two passed out in the parking lot at ass-o-clock in the morning, looking a little worse for the wear. Though you were looking better than Dean-o. You know, despite it being you who wasn’t in the land of the living, and the fact that there was a bucket ton of blood on your shirt, there’s not a scar on your body. But Dean’s the one with crushed organs. Again.” Gabriel deadpanned, meeting Castiel’s state squarely. “Something you wanna tell me, Cassie?” Castiel felt himself go pale, mind stuck on something else.

  “What’s wrong with Dean? Is he okay?” He started to get up, but stopped when Gabriel immediately pressed a hand to his shoulder again, forcing him to sit back down.

  “ _ Relax,  _ Cassie. I just told you - he’s awake. Saw to him myself. In fact, I’ll even send him in after we’re done here, so. Care to tell me what happened?”

  Cas hesitated, but deciding that the sooner he got this over with, the sooner he’d be able to see Dean again. So even as his brain rapidly tried to go backwards and put together the puzzle pieces, he recounted what happened to his brother. 

  “We went on a hunt with reports of a demonic activity.” Castiel began carefully, before bluntly delivering the news anyway. “It was a demon, but it wasn’t just any demon. It was Lilith.” He looked back up to see Gabriel looking taken aback and shocked, eyes widened and jaw falling slightly slack. 

  “Lilith? That’s impossible, I set up those alarms myself!” Gabriel exclaimed, as if indignant. Castiel tilted his head. 

  “She said that she managed to get out because she was Lucifer’s first.”

  And that had Gabriel’s jaw clenching instead, face suddenly carefully blank with only a look of mere understanding forcefully in place. Castiel figured he’d have gotten a reaction like this. After all, the archangels were closer to each other than all the other angels were in general. 

  “Right. So what happened? She sent you running with your tail tucked between your legs?” Gabriel asked, casually taking out a candy bar and started unwrapping it. 

  Castiel shook his head. “No. I killed her.” 

  Gabriel shot him an impressed look, candy bar still in his mouth. He took a bit, and chewing, he pushed himself backwards with his feet balanced on the side of the bedframe, until the chair was only being balanced by that and its back legs, front ones suspended in the air. “Huh. Well, that’s one less thing to worry about.” Gabriel said with satisfaction. He pulled his feet away from the bed, letting the chair swing back down with a light thud.

  “I’d talk more, but I’d better get going. I’ve got enough info for now, and Dean’s gonna wanna know you’re awake. I’ll send him in.” With that, Gabriel shot a wink at Castiel as he swiftly stood and made his way out of the room, barely letting Castiel edge a word in otherwise. 

  Castiel sighed, looking down at his bed. There was hardly a reason for him to have one, because he didn’t sleep, and thus so far, he’d only used it twice. Right now, and that time with Dean... 

  Feeling as if he just thought of something he shouldn’t have, Castiel got up, standing with his back to the window and letting the light stream down on his muscles as he slightly stretched, zoning out as he tuned into his body to test his grace. Thankfully, everything seemed back to normal, and even better, easily accessible, as proved by his bed making itself with a single glance. 

  Dean chose that moment to walk in, stopping at the doorway, his sharp inhale alerting Castiel to his presence - as if he wouldn’t have known he was there anyway, thanks to the mouthwatering smell and soulmate bond. Plus, yes, his angel senses were working  _ very _ well, because his eyes also picked up within seconds how very haggard and thin Dean was looking. 

  “Dean!” Castiel exclaimed with no small amount of delight as he turned to face him. But his tone was masked with concern, as he walked towards Dean. “You don’t look well.” 

  Dean stayed silent, eyes roving over Castiel, looking very much disbelieving. Quietly - unsure - Castiel took one last step forward, standing right in front of Dean as he pressed against the underside of Dean’s jaw with a finger, gently encouraging Dean to meet his eyes. “Dean,” Castiel murmured softly. “Are you okay?” He gently traced the finger over Dean’s jaw line, relishing the feeling of Dean shuddering as his eyes closed, leaning into Castiel’s touch. 

  “God, Cas.” Dean whispered, his voice broken. “You were just lying there, not moving at all, and there was so much blood-“

  “Hush, Dean.” Castiel leaned forward, feeling his heart break at Dean’s pallor, slowly pulling Dean into a hug. He gritted his teeth when Dean responded far too easily, his arms automatically wrapping around the angel as Dean leaned his head against Castiel’s shoulder. He must have been more affected than Castiel would ever have thought. “I’m alright now.”

  Dean huffed. “Well, don’t ever do that again.” He stated firmly, pressing a fist to Cas’s chest, and Castiel started to grin softly, before a frown formed instead. He could sense the distress radiating from the omega, which wasn’t unusual. What was catching him off guard though, was the immense weariness emanating from Dean, and that had Castiel lean back in an attempt to look Dean in the eye. 

  “Dean? Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Dean hummed, tone obviously forced to be light as his arms tightened around Castiel. “Yeah, man. Just... tired.”

  Castiel frowned. Whatever Dean was feeling, tired didn’t sum it up. But it must have been somewhat of a truth, so Castiel pressed on, even as he led Dean backwards, still refusing to let go of his embrace. “Did you not yet heal completely? Gabriel said he tended to you immediately.”

  Dean snorted, turning his head so that the sound was muffled against Castiel’s shoulder. “Gabriel did fine, Cas. I just couldn’t-“ He tried to rear back, surprise clear on his features when Castiel pulled them both down into the bed, holding on to Dean firmly so that he couldn’t go anywhere - not that he was going to anyway - while he pulled the blankets over them. “-Sleep.” Dean finished. 

  Castiel rolled his shoulders, focusing on the muscles in his back and letting his wings slowly appear and start to unfurl before curling around them in their usual hold. “Do you think you’ll be able to sleep now?” He asked Dean softly. Dean’s eyes shimmered as he looked at Castiel strangely, before smiling. 

  “Yeah, buddy. I think so.” He ducked his head down again, tucking it under Castiel’s chin as his hand at Castiel’s chest twisted until he had a firm grip on his shirt, the other slowly reaching out for his wing. They were now positioned practically like they almost always were, and Castiel just now reflected on how Dean’s hold could have also been to reassure himself that Castiel wasn’t going to go anywhere without Dean knowing. But, Castiel tightened his arms around Dean as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, lungs filling with the scent of Dean as he thought, he wasn’t going to go anywhere either. 

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 40

 

  Dean’s eyes flew open, unregistering of the sight in front of him as his fingers tightened their hold on whatever he was gripping, heart beating rapidly making him fight to regain control of his senses. 

  When the whiteness obscuring his vision finally faded away, Dean blinked away the fuzziness, trying to readjust his sight with Cas lying so close to his face, eyes peering at him with creepy intensity. 

  “Cas,” Dean frowned. “Personal space, man.” His voice was raspy, as if he was screaming for hours, and honestly, Dean wouldn’t put it past himself if he had. 

  But Cas didn’t move away. “You were having a nightmare.” He stated flatly. That’s when Dean realized Cas was gripping Dean’s hands between his own, and he vaguely wondered as he looked down at their conjoined hands, when that happened. 

  “Yeah,” Dean surprised himself by admitting it, but he didn’t look up. “I guess I did.”

  “Hey,” Cas removed one of his hands to tilt Dean’s chin up with a finger. “You know you can tell me anything, right, Dean?” 

  Dean swallowed thickly, his stomach turning unpleasantly as tears prickled at the corner of his eyes. “Yeah.” He took a deep breath, looking away as he pulled his hands free from Cas's grip, turning around he was lying on his back, forcing his hands to calmly rest on his stomach. He felt more than saw Cas hesitate beside him, but he didn’t do anything except for settling beside Dean, keeping his hands to himself. 

  Minutes passed before Dean spoke again, obviously surprising Cas, though the angel didn’t show it. “My brother never thought I could be a hunter.” Dean started quietly, his words heard perfectly by the angel, and yet Dean’s ears muted out his own voice, making it seem like he was talking from underwater. “He always thought that, because I’m an omega, I’d be compromised far too easily.” Dean scoffed. “He wasn’t wrong.”

  Cas's frown intensified, but he didn’t get a chance to speak as Dean went on. “My dad died because of me. Because I was too weak, and he had to die,” Dean shut his mouth, blinking rapidly to dispel the tears gathering there before he continued. “‘Cause I betrayed him. If I wasn’t as weak-“

  “You’re not weak, Dean.” Cas finally cut in, looking as if for all the world he was unable to hold it on any longer. He reached out to place a gentle hand on top of Dean’s, not grabbing, but just touching. “You could never be weak. You’ve gone through so much, and yet for your soul to shine so bright... you’re the strongest man I ever know.” Cas said, his eyes pooling with so much genuineness that Dean had to close his eyes. 

  “You shouldn’t say things like that.” Dean whispered, voice almost flat as if he’d already given up on himself. Well, he kinda already did. 

  “It’s the truth.” Cas simply insisted.  

  Dean sighed, his eyes still closed. Deciding to move on and away from their current subject, he pressed himself to keep speaking. “You know, I still worry about the guy. Even though he probably hates my guts...” Dean opened his eyes, but he still refused to look at Cas. “I’d been making all these plans, wanting to go to California and check on him... but I can’t. ‘Cause if he knows I killed John-“

  “Hey,” And now, Cas was tilting Dean’s head towards him, looking him in the eye. “I may not know what exactly happened. But from what I’ve gathered, you are not at fault for your father’s death.” 

  Dean’s eyes burned with unshed tears. “You don’t know that.”

  “I know enough to know that you’re blaming yourself for something that wasn’t your own doing.” Flashes of John pulling the trigger zoomed through Dean’s mind, but he didn’t linger on those thoughts, too absorbed with Cas's enrapturing stare. “You don’t have to tell me what happened - it’s up to you to tell me anything you want. But I doubt your brother can hate you for something you didn’t even do.”

  “He already hates me anyway.” Dean retorted sharply, but then his muscles slumped in resignation. “He said that he knew I was gonna fuck up because I was an omega. And he was right.” Dean looked down, closing his eyes. Hot mortification engulfed him as tears slid down his cheeks to fall on the pillow, but he knew he was right. He was just a worthless omega slut, and it was only a matter of time before Cas saw that too. “Dad knew it too. So he stayed away from me. But the one time we worked together...”

  “Dean.” Cas's voice was suddenly sharp. “Being an omega is not a sign of weakness. Like I’ve already told you, you’re stronger than most alphas combined. You can’t think of yourself like that.”

  Dean shook his head, and Cas sighed, deflating. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the side of Dean’s head. 

  “What can I say to convince you?” Cas whispered, a finger stroking the back of Dean’s hand. 

  “I don’t think anything you say will convince me that easily.”

  “Well then I’ll just have to dedicate my life to trying, hm?”

  Dean swallowed, his skin starting to tingle at the places where Cas was touching him. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

  “On the contrary,” Cas's voice was a soft breath against his cheek, enveloping Dean in fresh air and feathers as the three wings on Dean’s side came to cover him like a blanket. “It’s the best idea I’ve had in ages.” He pecked Dean softly on the cheek, and though Dean’s eyes closed at the first hint of contact, he could still feel Cas smiling softly against his skin.

  They stayed like that until sun rise, and though Dean didn’t sleep much, he was in a far better position than whatever his dreams would have tossed him into. 

 

oOo

 

  Christmas was spent huddled within their apartment for the most part, except when they went down to check on Gabe’s bakery. Seeing the crowd made Dean want to immediately back out, so grabbing their drinks and pie, they made their way upstairs into Balt’s museum, that at least closed for the general public for Christmas, albeit for Gabe’s customers. A few people were gladly milling about, probably taking advantage of the space and heat more than in awe of the relics - not everything that was worth more than a million bucks was nice and shiny to the eye - as they waddled around in their thick winter clothing, clutching on to steaming cups of coffee. The duo only stayed long enough to finish up their beverages (off menu, courtesy of Gabe) as well before they returned to their apartment, though not before Dean eyed a couple of historical weapons he figured would be useful for some cases. 

  The rest of the day was mostly spent in the kitchen, Cas and Dean cooking and baking dinner. With fluid movements they maneuvered around each other to get their own dishes done, and despite none of the angel’s needing to eat, they all got together for the large meals the two made, eating until they were all stuffed full. 

  Getting into bed that night, Cas and Dean cuddled into each other’s arms as they drifted off into sleep. They didn’t get gifts for anyone, but, Dean mused, they hadn’t really needed to. He hadn’t celebrated Christmas in years, and the past few Christmases Dean hadn’t really had a reason to either. But the memory of this Christmas was still going to be embedded in his mind for many years to come, and it’ll always be shadowed with the comforts of Cas's wings wrapped around him, holding Dean as tight as Cas possibly can without hurting him. 

 

oOo

 

**_Ellen’s Stardust Diner, Broadway, New York_ **

**_Late January, 2010_ **

 

  “I really don’t get why we had to stop here.” Dean grumbled, even as he let Cas drag him into the diner. They had been in the middle of cases, returning to Buffalo because of Dean’s monthly heat, lasting a proper three days this time, and Balt having also demanding them to return with his previous diamond blade coated in unicorn’s entrails - fancy, rare, and disgusting, but it was the only weapon that would kill their monster of the week - and Dean had just found a case near the west coast. It was a half day’s ride at best really, from where he last knew Sam to be, before Cas insisted on taking him out tonight. He wasn’t sure why, and Dean felt rather conflicted on Cas's unwitting distraction. On one hand, he was relieved for the procrastination and all up for putting it off for as long as possible. But on the other hand, people were still getting hurt, and Dean’d also rather just rip the bandaid off and get it over with - for fuck’s sake, it wasn’t like he was gonna even actually interact with his brother. 

  But for now, he was stuck in this diner at Broadway that looked like it was more befitting for tourists - not that Dean was a local... he hadn’t been a proper local anywhere for almost his entire life, and Kansas never really counted - and Cas was dragging him to a table with a strange gleam in his eye that Dean wasn’t really sure what to make of. Granted, Dean might have also been exaggerating on the ‘dragging’ part... Dean had looped one of his arms into Cas's, and he was willingly walking beside him anyway... though cuddling up to Cas's side might have been more appropriate. So sue him, he had just spent another one of his heats with the alpha he was scent bonded to maintaining close contact the entire time, but at times even that wasn’t enough to abate Dean’s lust, his body calling out for a proper bonding. 

  And that thought simultaneously had blood rushing to Dean’s cheeks while also wanting to pull away from any and all form of contact with anyone. Cas and he may have gotten closer over time... like really close... but Dean wasn’t still sure if he could initiate anything like that just yet. 

  Although it was becoming more and more tempting, like maybe just a small peck or something. They could comfortably hold hands in private and in public, and even though that would be the next step, Dean himself was itching to maybe just get his lips somewhere on Cas - above chest level though - just for like, a little taste - a test. Just as a small test. 

  “Because you deserve a break before our next case.” Cas grumbled, leading Dean to an empty chair and ignoring Dean’s muttered protests of, ‘ _ we  _ **_were_ ** _ on a break’ _ . “And we could do with eating somewhere that isn’t Gabriel’s establishment and not have to discuss about any cases for a bit.” 

  Dean rolled his eyes, though he had to concede defeat at that - it was a valid point. Ever since the two had been hunting together, every time they ate anywhere that wasn’t either initially at Topeka, or now Buffalo, it was usually because they were out for a case - or in between cases… or coming back from one. And because of that, their main topic of conversation usually revolved around their hunts.

  “Fine.” Dean let out, biting back a smile as he adamantly put on an irritated front while Cas sat across from him. “But we could have just stayed at home - home cooked meal and the comforts of our TV and all that.”

  Cas stared at Dean with a small amount of exasperation. “Just let someone do something nice for you for a change, Dean. But even if you won’t let me,  _ I’m _ not letting you out of this right now. So, just, go with me on this, alright?” Cas requested. “We’ll be out on the road soon, Dean. But let’s just… take a breather.” 

  Dean let out a surprised bark of laughter at that, throwing his head back as he let the happiness course through him. He didn’t really have a problem with Cas taking him out, of course not. It was a bit weird, yes, but… it was also nice. The two of them hanging out, just for fun…

  Stopping his mind from going any further, Dean sat back and watched contentedly as Cas took the lead, letting a small, fond smile slip onto his features as Cas gestured for a waiter and ordering the diner’s best burger for Dean. When he only ordered a simple beer for himself, Dean raised his eyebrows, smile gone and speaking up. 

  “Oh, no, you don't. You dragged me out to eat, you’re getting something as well.” Dean turned to the waitress, his trademark cocky grin already plastered on to his face, and feeling much more fake in comparison to the smile he had donned just seconds ago. “The same for him as well, sweetheart, and add a list of curly fries as well?” He requested, tossing the omega a flirtatious grin. 

  The waitress giggled, scribbling down the order with a high pitched, “ _ of course,” _ returning Dean’s smirk with one of her own seductive smile, before walking away with their order. The moment she was out of their sight, Dean took a moment to take a proper look around the bar, now that he was seated in one place, but then froze when he noticed Cas glaring at him. 

  “What?” Dean asked, slightly - scratch that - completely alarmed. Never had Cas ever looked at him with even a single modicum of hatred, and now his looks were burning daggers into Dean’s skin.

  “Nothing.” Cas responded shortly.

  “Yeah, right. Totally believed that.” Dean stated dryly, feeling panic starting to set in when Cas refused to even look at him now. “C’mon, man, spit it out. What’d I do?” He couldn’t help the slightly hopeless tone his voice took on at that, and instantly hated himself for it. But when Cas turned to look at him, his glare already toning down - not much, but just a little bit. Him looking at Dean was enough to appease Dean for now anyway - he counted it as a necessary sacrifice.

  “It’s nothing. It’s just…” Cas hung his head, making Dean’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. “I’m having a hard time coming to terms with your open personality towards people, especially after our own profound bound.” Cas stated bluntly.

  Dean blinked, taken aback. “Huh.” He really had no idea what to say. 

  Cas shook his head, now looking more despondent than anything as he stared blankly at something in the distance. “My apologies. I guess it’s just another one of the effects of our scent bondings, giving me a sense of possession that I have no right to feel.”

  And yeah, okay, Dean couldn’t stay quiet any longer after that. “Cas.” He leaned forward, putting a hand on Cas's folded ones resting atop the table. “Screw the scent bond for a sec, man, and tell me this. Are you seriously not expecting to feel that way after practically spending the duration of my heat, in  _ my  _ bed? Because if you don’t, then I’m gonna have a seriously sucky time if I find out that I’m the only one who would hate the thought of anyone else laying a finger on you.” Dean forced himself to calm down, the mental image of his own words making his canines want to extend in jealousy. “And besides, that flirting thing back there?” Dean leaned back, smirking at Cas, before daring to do something he never thought he would. “I mean, hey, I don’t mind a possessive alpha and all, but Cas.” He stretched out a leg, grinning warmly but unable to completely repress the slight wariness from slipping through his gaze as he hooked his foot around Cas’s ankle. “I’m really not interested in anyone else.” His tone ended up sounding a lot more genuine than he’d been hoping, but going by Cas blinking - as if startled at Dean’s words, or maybe Dean’s foot warmly wrapped around his - before melting into a completely softer look that had Dean feeling uncomfortable being the one it was directed at, but also giddy at the knowledge that he was the sole focus of  _ Cas  _ \- made Dean count it as a win for sure.

  “I’m not interested in anyone else either, Dean.” Cas finally responded, and Dean choked.

  Thankfully, he was saved from having to come up with an awkward response with the waitress coming by, her eyes glued to Dean as she bent down - way more down than necessary - to serve them their plates, giving them an ample view of her cleavage. 

  “Hope you enjoy.” She winked at Dean, walking away with an added sway to her hips, but Dean didn’t pay her any attention. Oh no, his mind was totally on the burger in front of him right now, and it looked way too appetizing to not give it the attention it deserved. The waitress was completely forgotten, and even the fact that he still had his foot hooked around Cas’s disappeared to the back of his mind.

  “Oh fuck.” Dean took a hasty bite, moaning aloud as the sensations exploded on his taste buds. “Goddamn, I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve last had one of these.” 

  “We just had one several days ago, Dean.” Cas retorted, but when Dean opened his eyes, there was a twinkle in Cas's eyes as he took a much more appropriate sized bite of his own burger.

  “Doesn’t matter. Still missed this fella here.”

  Despite Dean working furiously through his burger, while Cas followed along at a much more sedated pace, they were barely near anywhere close to being done when a mic’s screeching interrupted them, making the two look up from their burgers as they looked for the source of the sound. 

  Dean raised an eyebrow when he recognized the waitress who served them standing at the center of the bar area, holding the mic in her hands and looking right at him as she cleared her throat. And began singing. 

  “Right. This is gonna go great...” Dean muttered, casting a hopeless shrug at Cas in hopes of appeasing the angel, absently rubbing his foot up and down Cas’s leg, and then blushed when he realized what he was doing. But then the waitress’s words were starting to resound through the diner, amplified by the ever so helpful speakers. 

  As she sang the first two lyrics of Earth Angel, Dean couldn’t help but smirk, face still aflame. Cas rolled his eyes at the irony, but he still looked a bit confused, even more so when Dean suddenly felt his breath catch as the waitress kept singing. But this time, Dean’s world had simply narrowed down to the angel across from him, and the way he only looked back at Dean as well. 

 

  “ _ Will you be mine? _

_ My darling dear, _

_ Love you all the time. _

_ I'm just a fool, _

_ A fool in love with you _ .”

 

  Cas's blue eyes twinkled and gleamed in the diner’s soft lights, and for a second Dean could have been fooled that Cas was about to use his grace and his vessel was powering up in preparations for it. But there was none of that smite-y look on Cas's face - far from it, in fact, as Cas stared back at Dean shamelessly, quirking an eyebrow when Dean blinked and realized  _ he _ had been staring in the first place. Dean blinked again, shaking his head slightly in answer to Cas's unasked question, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Cas, his eyes drifting down to slender fingers as Cas shrugged and picked up his burger, focusing on it instead. 

 

  “ _ I fell for you, _

_ And I knew, _

_ The vision of your loveliness. _

_ I hope and pray, _

_ That someday, _

_ That I'll be the vision of your happiness. _ ”

 

  Dean swallowed, forcing himself to look back down at his own burger. With shaky fingers, he tried to will himself not to look back up and just eat, though he was definitely eating slower now, even as the song came to an end. But instead of the notes drifting off, it started to change to another song, and Dean looked up to the waitress with his eyebrows raised. She was looking at him with a much more hopeful look now, as she started singing the next song. 

 

  “ _ In the still of the night, _

_ I held you, _

_ Held you tight _ .”

 

  Dean swallowed again. Whatever that waitress was trying to accomplish - like Dean in her own bed for the one night - it definitely wasn’t gonna work. Not when, at her choice of song, all Dean could think of was Cas, holding him tightly as Dean’s body was wracked through pain, the omega riding through the waves of his heat without any source of relief except his fingers and his alpha’s scent. 

 

  “ _ Promise I’ll never _

_ Let you go _

_ In the still of the night.” _

 

  And yeah, now he was looking back at Cas. The angel was looking at the bar, his face impassive as he sipped at his beer. Even his fricking unkempt hair as usual seemed to shimmer in the light, and Dean was starting to have enough with all the heavenly signs and what have you. 

 

  “ _ To keep, _

_ Your precious love, _

_ Well before the light. _

_ Hold me again, _

_ With all of your might, _

_ In the still of the night. _ ”

 

  Unable to take it any longer, Dean finished off the last of his burger with a particularly large bite, forcing it down with a few gulps of beer. 

  “Hey, Cas.” Dean muttered, voice forcedly casual, drawing the angel’s attention to himself. “Wanna get out of here?”

  Cas frowned in concern, setting his beer down as he turned to face Dean.  

  “Is everything alright?” Cas asked. Dean tried to muster up a smile in response, though it was weak. 

  “Yeah, just want some fresh air.”

  Cas nodded, already pulling out his wallet. “Of course.” He tossed a few bills down on the table before Dean could protest, and then he was standing, waiting for Dean to push himself up and pop a couple of curly fries in his mouth before grabbing his gloves and scarf, pulling it all on as they walked out of the diner, neither of them looking back once at the still singing waitress as she came to a close with her song. 

 

  “ _ So before the light, _

_ Hold me again, _

_ With all of your might, _

_ In the still of the night _

_ In the still of the night. _ ”

 

  The last fading notes of the song became muted as the door swung closed behind them, and as Dean took a moment to take in deep breaths of the fresh air, Cas looked at him coolly, but there was still concern swimming in the depths of his eyes.  

  “Dean, are you sure you’re okay?”

  Dean grit his teeth, suddenly deciding to just fuck it as he roughly turned around to face the angel. 

  “I’m - I wanna do something.” Dean said, his tone hushed and urgent as he forced himself to keep looking at Cas. “Just... Tell me to stop if you don’t like it.” 

  Dean looked at Cas for any sign of rebuttal. But when Cas stayed silent, yet still admittedly looking very confused, Dean took another deep breath, preparing himself.

  Then slowly, Dean leaned forward, his eyes open and searching Cas's gaze until their lips met. 

  And after that, his eyes slid closed as, for the first time ever, he felt Cas's soft, warm, lips against his own. 

  Dean’s breath left him in a rush, as he pressed forward just a bit harder, for only a couple of seconds. But when he realized Cas wasn’t responding, with a sinking feeling in his gut, Dean started to pull back. 

  Only for Cas's hands to suddenly shoot up, yanking onto the collar of his jacket and holding him in place as Cas finally,  _ finally _ , started responding, his lips nipping and just  _ kissing _ Dean furiously. 

  At that, Dean’s mind short circuited, and he stopped thinking as he just gave himself up in the kiss, drinking in the taste and texture of Cas's lips steadily getting more swollen as they worked against Dean’s. His hands came up to Cas's neck, starting from sliding up the trench coat until he met skin, positioning his fingers until Dean’s hands were partially wrapped around Cas's neck, partially cupping his stubbled jaw. 

  Butterflies were blooming into existence within Dean, heat pooling within his stomach and faint traces of slick slowly starting to leak from his hole, though only ever so lightly. And even though Dean was running out of air, he refused to let himself part from Cas's lips, until the need for air became far too great to ignore, and he pulled back reluctantly, Cas tilting forward for a brief second as he searched for Dean’s lips, before he came to as well. 

  They both stood there outside the diner, oblivious to their surroundings as they were wrapped around each other. Dean could vaguely feel the sensation of feathers tickling at his back, but from the corner of his eyes, he couldn’t see any indication to Cas's wings being completely pulled into this physical plane. But Cas's arms around his head was enough, digging into Dean’s hair and slightly pulling at it, occasionally massaging his scalp. 

  Warms puffs of air released between them at each exhale, Dean eager to return to kissing Cas... but also quite content to just stand there, surrounding himself in everything that was Cas. 

  “Happy birthday, Dean.” Cas whispered into the small gap between them. And that’s when things made sense - the diner, the food, everything. Dean huffed out a breathless smile. 

  “Best birthday ever.” He muttered, before diving back in for another peck at Cas's lips, smiling the entire time as he felt Cas enthusiastically respond.

  Of course, that’s when the universe decided to shoot everything to hell. 

  “Dean?” A startled voice called out, and Dean’s hand tightened at the interruption. 

  “Motherf-“ and then the voice registered in Dean’s mind, making Dean straighten up so quickly he almost lost his balance, letting go of Cas. 

  “S-Sam?”

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 41

 

**_Ellen’s Stardust Diner,_ **

**_Broadway, New York_ **

 

**_January 24th, 2010_ **

 

  “ _ You know, Jess would have liked this place. _ ” Sam signed to the omega across from him. The moment his hands finished their actions, he returned to looking around, his hand automatically loosening his silk tie, feeling dejected as his throat worked furiously to prevent himself from crying in public.

  Eileen placed a hand on Sam’s, getting his attention before she signed back to him. “ _ We will find out what happened, Sam _ .” She replied with firm belief playing out on her features. “ _ Don’t worry. _ ”

  Sam sighed, trying to give her a smile, though it felt brittle and ready to crack. He had found Eileen soon after Jess’s death, the Deaf huntress having been attracted to the fire because even she could sense something wasn’t right. And paired together, they tried to figure out what must have happened. Just as they stumbled onto a possible lead, Sam had been called away for a case in New York by a fellow lawyer in his firm, leaving him to wonder if all was for naught and if he should just take a temporary leave from his duties to the public as a lawyer - for however long he needed until he avenged Jess’s death. Sure, the lawyer was a friend since college and only ever cared for him since Jess, and probably thought she was doing Sam a favor by taking his mind off of things, but he’d never be able to explain that really, that would never help him and was the last thing he wanted right now.

  But then Eileen had tagged along with him. Together, they stumbled and shoved their way through both Sam’s case to hurry up and get it over with, and still working on finding out what killed Jess even from New York. And yeah, this? This helped.

  Still. It was at times like this when Sam couldn’t help but wonder why Eileen was even sticking around with him. He had his doubts, of course, but he never dared to voice them aloud, fear for being wrong or even being abandoned too great for him to risk it. So Sam stayed quiet, and just appreciated Eileen’s help. 

  They continued to eat while a waitress came up and started singing, neither Sam or Eileen paying her much attention - except for when the omega curiously looked at the singing waitress until it struck her as to what was occurring - and by the time she was finishing her second song, they had finished their salads and started to stand up, Sam paying for the both of them and waving off Eileen’s protests with a few quick signs and a smile. 

  “ _ We should get back to the hotel, and maybe we can see if we find anything else before sleeping? _ ” Eileen signed, the two of them focusing on each other as Sam managed to lead them outside. “ _ I’m not really feeling that tired - oh that’s cute _ !” She suddenly exclaimed, a small smirk playing on her lips as she looked somewhere behind Sam. Frowning in confusion, Sam turned around to see what caught Eileen’s attention, and froze.  

  Two men - an alpha and omega couple - were seemingly in the middle of a passionate make out session, in their own worlds as they literally clung to each other, only pausing to take a deep, much needed inhale, but even that was filled with longing glances at each other, filled with lust - no, absolute adoration. But that’s not what had Sam standing there in shock. 

  No, it was the fact that the omega, was his brother, whom Sam hadn’t seen in four years. And he was just standing a few feet away from Sam. 

  Sam stared, at first unable to even breathe. Ignoring Eileen’s worried signing from beside him, he took a shaky step forward, his voice just as wobbly when he finally managed to get it to work again. 

  “Dean?”

  Dean pulled back, obviously annoyed with the interruption even as he kept his eyes closed and still held on to the alpha. Sam could hear Dean vaguely mutter a curse before Dean abruptly straightened, pulling away from the alpha completely as he finally looked at Sam. 

  For some reason, it tore at Sam that more than shock, he could see the fear clearly from his brother’s eyes, even if he couldn’t smell it radiating from him.

  “S-Sam.”

  The alpha’s eyes widened by a margin as he stepped back from Dean, looking at Sam before glancing back to Dean.

  “Sam,” the alpha rumbled, his voice low. “As in-“

  Dean swallowed. “Yeah, Cas. Meet my brother.” And then his face shuttered, going blank, before abruptly turning away and starting to walk off. 

  “Wait!” Sam stumbled in his hurry to catch up with Dean, desperate to not let go of his brother after having just seen him in years. He quickly regained his balance, and within seconds he was clamping a hand on Dean’s shoulder, forcing the omega to come to a stop. 

  “What the hell are you even doing here, man?” Sam asked. 

  Dean’s head whipped back, shock playing out on his face before being quickly with anger. “What am  _ I _ doing here? Fuck you, Sam - you were in California! We’re all the way on the other side of the country - and you have the gall to ask me what I’m doing when you’re the one standing here?”

  Sam recoiled, the words landing like a harsh blow on him. “Dean, I-“

  But Dean shook his head. “Save it, Sam. You wanted me out of your life, the least you could do was admit it.” 

  “What?” Sam almost yelled, astonished to the point that he wondered if he heard his brother right. “When did I ever-“

  “Oh, I don’t know!” Dean suddenly exploded, throwing his arms out as he gesticulated wildly. “What about when you were saying that I was just a weak omega? Or maybe the time that I’d spread my legs for the first alpha I cross paths with? Or how about  _ how because of all of that, you couldn’t trust me as a brother, much less a hunting partner!”  _ Despite starting out at a yell, Dean’s voice lowered to a deadly hiss, and it was far more effective than greater volume as he got up in Sam’s face, jabbing at the alpha’s chest with almost each word, and finally opening his fists to shove at Sam with open palms. Sam stumbled backwards, almost falling off the sidewalk if Dean hadn’t grabbed on to a flailing arm at the last moment, pulling him back to the safety of the pavement before letting go, as if dealing with a cursed object.

  Vaguely, Sam wondered if he was.

  “Dean,” Sam whispered, his voice cracking in disbelief. “I didn’t-When the hell did you even hear me say that, man?”

  Dean turned away, looking off to the side as he let his fists hang at his side. “Overheard you talking with Jess the last time I stayed over. It’s why I left. I’m not so stupid that I can’t tell when I’m not needed.”

  Sam’s chest clenched painfully at the mention of his ex-fiancee. “I never said that.” He managed to reply, his voice hollow. 

  Dean closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “You know what. Just forget it.” Dean stated flatly. ‘C’mon, Cas, let’s go.” He looked to the alpha behind them, face twisting in confused irritations when he caught the alpha - Cas - signing, most likely interpreting for Eileen. The act caught Sam off guard - and seriously, he should be used to the fact that tonight was definitely not going to be a night of mundane happenings - he really didn’t expect the alpha to know ASL. 

  Cas signed quickly, Sam recognizing it for brief the, “ _ I should go. Nice meeting you, _ ” that it was, before he dropped his hands, obediently following behind Dean. His brother didn’t look back once at Sam, even when he called out for him. The alpha tensed, as if he had been expecting Dean to freeze, but Dean kept walking, and the two quickly disappeared off to the night, leaving Sam and Eileen behind.

  “Fuck.” Sam whispered, his shoulders slumping more than usual, and it took everything in him to just not simply crumble onto the cement under him. “Fuck.” His eyes watered, before a tear finally pulled free to slide down his cheek.

 

oOo

 

**_Buffalo, New York_ **

 

**_25 January 2009_ **

 

  The silence was thick, heavy, and frankly, uncomfortable between them as they entered their apartment several hours later. It was way past midnight - closer to dawn actually - Dean having driven them back to Buffalo immediately. The case could wait, and it wasn’t like he was gonna check on his brother there, now, what with him being in friggin’ New York.

  Dean yanked his jacket, scarf, and gloves, off with harsh movements, throwing it all on the sofa without bothering to glance at it as he made a beeline for the kitchen, pulling open the fridge and grabbing a beer bottle. He pulled off the cap right there, standing in front of the open fridge and taking large gulps of the liquid. Behind him, he could hear Cas cautiously approaching him, the damn smell of ozone nonetheless overpowering the smell of beer, despite the latter being centimeters away from his nose. 

  Neither Dean, nor Cas, said anything, and Dean simply refused to be the first to budge. He drained his bottle within seconds, slamming it down on the counter by the fridge before reaching for another one. On a whim, he dragged out two instead, and closing the fridge door, he made his way to the barstools at the island placing the beers in front of him as he seated himself and popping one open. Cas quietly came to sit beside him, not saying a word as he watched Dean drink, the latter not meeting his eyes either. 

  It was when he was almost done with the second bottle that Cas finally spoke. “Dean?” He called out softly. He reached out a hand, seemingly about to place it on Dean’s free arm resting on the countertop, before changing his mind and pulling back. 

  Dean paused, but he didn’t turn or otherwise acknowledge the alpha. 

  “Come to bed?” Cas requested. Dean sighed, his eyes closing as he looked down. His head made an aborted motion to look towards the alpha, and he caught a quick glimpse of Cas looking at him beseechingly before Dean looked down to his lap, setting the bottle down. Dean took a few deep breaths, his fists clenching before he nodded, a short, jerky movement. When he made no move to get up though, Cas sighed, a sad sound as he slid off the stool, gently prying the bottle away from Dean’s hold, and despite the sharp glare that Dean threw at Cas, looking at him for the first time since the bar, he let Cas pull it free, pushing it further into the middle of the island, before gently tugging at Dean’s arm. Swallowing, Dean got up, keeping his head bent down as Cas led them to Dean’s bedroom, never letting go of his placid hold on Dean’s arm. Coming to a stop at the center of Dean’s bedroom, Cas finally let go of Dean, moving towards Dean’s dresser, while Dean tried to ignore the feeling of loss as Cas's touch disappeared. When Cas came back into his line of vision, he was holding a soft pair of sweatpants and a hoodie - a set that Dean recognized as the ones he first took from Cas's suite back in Topeka, and the ones he kept under his other clothes. He briefly wondered how Cas had even managed to find them before he took them anyway, holding them limply from his fingers. With a look of understanding, Cas nodded. 

  “I’ll wait outside.” 

  The door shut softly behind Cas, but even then, Dean couldn’t bring himself to move. Lost in his thoughts as he replayed the night’s events over, and over, and over again in his head, he didn’t realize how much time had passed by until there was a soft knock on the door.

  “Dean? I’m coming in.” There was a pause, before the door opened, and he could hear Cas halting when he took in the sight of Dean, in the exact same position as he had left him in. With deliberate steps, Cas stood in front of him, taking the clothes from Dean’s hand. The alpha himself had shed a few layers, only in his slacks and white dress shirt. 

  “I don’t think you’d be as comfortable in jeans.” Cas pointed out, his voice low. Dean stared flatly at Cas, not bothering to deign it with a response. “Would it be alright if I…” Cas hesitated, glancing at the clothes in his hand before looking back up at Dean. “How about I get you out of this?” He asked instead. Dean swallowed, but didn’t stop Cas when the angel reached out for the bottom of his shirt. Instead, as Cas inched the shirt up his torso, he grudgingly lifted his arms, letting Cas slip the shirt off of him. When the cold air hit his bare torso, he abruptly froze, his muscles going tense and rigid, but Dean didn’t have to worry for long, as Cas quickly replaced it with the sweatshirt. 

  And then it was just his jeans.

  This time, Dean was visibly shaking, everything threatening to hit him at a rush, memories of being naked, intertwined with why he was the one to get in those positions, and how - because of Sam, Sam who he just saw tonight, and -

  And fuck, because Cas was on his knees, unzipping Dean’s jeans. 

  Dean’s mouth went dry.

  If this was any other time, hell, if this was even yesterday, maybe he’d be a lot more on board than he was right now - though that still wouldn’t have been by much - with how things were going. As it was, he could only bring himself to cooperate, his muscles locked and screaming at him to try and defend himself… but something deeper within him just whispering for him to go along with Cas's lead, to trust that his alpha would never hurt him. 

  And he didn’t. 

  Not once did Dean feel even a graze of Cas's skin touch his own bare legs, even when Dean had to reach out to balance a hand on his shoulder so that Cas could wiggle his jeans off his feet. He could see that Cas's wings had come out, but they were folded neatly at his back, for once completely still, an opposite to the tremors that was now running through Dean’s body. Cas left the clothing article as a discarded heap on the floor before pulling on Dean’s sweatpants, the two finally ready for bed. The angel rose, leaning over to give a simple peck at the top of Dean’s head before calmly pulling him into bed, his wings slightly extending as Cas walked backwards, and together, they got into bed, though there was a sizable gap between them that hadn’t existed in weeks, if not months. They curled up on their respective sides of the beds, facing each other as Cas respectfully gave Dean his space, though he was still looking at him with that infuriating look of concern, which had only increased when Dean hadn’t cuddled up to him as he was usually prone to do. 

  With an irritated sigh, Dean gave in to the temptation - though should anyone ask at that moment, it was only because he couldn’t take Cas's staring anymore - and scooted forward, though he refused to move any further when he was close to the center of the bed. Though he didn’t actually smile, the sides of Cas's lips quirked upwards as he joined Dean, moving himself the rest of the way so that they adopted their traditional pose, and even Dean couldn’t ignore the large amount of relief he felt the moment Cas wrapped his arms and wings around his body, as if he was not only shielding Dean from the outside world, but also taking Dean’s burdens as his own. When Cas didn’t move after that, obviously settled, the effect was instantaneous, as Dean let his muscles loosen up, practically melting on the bed and against Cas as he gripped the front of Cas's shirt firmly, completely assured now that Cas wouldn’t do anything else. He knew, of course, that the angel wouldn’t, but deep down, it was gonna take him a fucking long time before he could even think of being able to completely let go and just trust Cas.

  But for now, Dean still had his fears, he still had his paranoia… and he still had the stone lodged firmly within his chest with the name Sam Winchester branded on it. And even Cas couldn’t make that one go away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe.. surprise?


	12. Chapter 12

Sweet Stop - Chapter 42

 

**_Broadway, New York_ **

**_24-25 January 2010_ **

 

  “ _ Do you… want to talk about it _ ?” Eileen hesitantly signed, coming to sit on the other bed, facing Sam. 

  Sam looked down, letting out a deep breath as he rubbed a hand over his face, before looking back up to meet Eileen’s eye to sign a response. “ _ No. But thank you. _ ”

  Eileen looked at his doubtfully. “ _ Are you sure? _ ”

  Sam sighed, standing up. He walked out from between the two beds, pacing along the length of their motel room before he stopped and turned to Eileen. “ _ It’s just, I haven’t seen my brother in years. And now, I finally see him, getting close with someone, and… he doesn’t want anything to do with me? Because of a stupid mistake that happened and he won’t even give me the chance to explain- _ “ Sam groaned, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration, resuming his pacing. He pumped his arms by his side, filled to the brim with energy he just didn’t know what to do with, not at the middle of the night in New York anyway. Yeah, he could take care of himself if need be, but if he was gonna start throwing punches, he’d rather not have a human bear the brunt of his anger right now.

  Eileen rose from her bed, coming to stand a few feet away from Sam. It was enough to get Sam’s attention, focusing on her in case she signed something, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop pacing just yet. 

  “ _ Well, we know he’s in New York. Why don’t we find out where he lives or something and you can talk to him? _ ” Eileen tried, her face appeasing.

  Sam sighed, coming to a standstill long enough to respond to her. “ _ He kept hidden from me for years, how am I gonna find him now? Hell, he probably high tailed it out of this state anyway. _ ” Sam took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “ _ I should have went after him.” _ He signed, already starting to walk again.

  “ _ Well, it’s probably for the best you didn’t.” _ Eileen responded, shrugging when Sam raised his eyebrows at her. “ _ I mean, he looked… he looked like seeing you was the last thing he expected. He probably needs some time to adjust from that shock, Sam.” _

  Sam nodded at her reasoning, coming to sit back down on the bed. “ _ Still. I wish I could have talked to him, you know?”  _ He said, talking as he signed. 

  Eileen lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, removing it to sign. “ _ And you will. But not tonight. We can do it first thing in the morning, alright?” _

  At Sam’s - reluctant - acquiescence, she gave him a brief, yet warm hug, still standing in front of him where he was seated on the bed. A moment later, she let him go, and with one last look, she went into the bathroom, presumably to get ready for bed.

  Sam sighed when she was gone, rubbing his face before resting it in his hands, obscuring his face from view. Even though he forced himself to get into bed after Eileen came out of the bathroom and it was his turn to finish his nightly ritual, sleep eluded the young Winchester for many hours.

 

oOo

 

  “ _ Any luck? _ ” Eileen sat across from him, nudging at his salad bowl to remind Sam to eat before she tucked into her own breakfast, eyes on Sam. 

  He looked up distractedly, glancing disinterestedly at the food before looking back to his notes and computer, before focusing on Eileen. He had to force himself to actually look into Eileen’s eyes when signing, still not used to having to give her his complete focus when signing what with the complete cultural difference. But having essentially been glued to each other for several weeks now, Sam was starting to get used to it.

  “ _ Yeah, I hacked into the traffic feed from the diner we went to last night. There were a few misleads and blank spots, but, I, uh, _ ” He turned the laptop so it was facing Eileen, who glanced at it, her eyes tracking the movement of a car driving across the camera’s coverage before refocusing her attention to Sam, prompting him to continue signing. “ _ Followed Dean’s car on the footage until their destination. _ ” He looked down, reading the address he’d already memorized before looking back up to sign it to Eileen. “ _ They’re in Buffalo.” _

  Eileen raised her eyebrows. “ _ That’s a long way to go.”  _

  Sam nodded, his guts churning. “ _ Yeah, he must have been desperate to get away from me _ .”

  Eileen’s eyes softened. “ _ Don’t say that.”  _

_ “There can’t be any other reason-“ _

  “ _ Even so, _ ” Eileen cut in. “ _ You guys really need to talk. So grab the address, we’ll go now _ .” To prove her point, she started packing up their breakfast again, neatly putting it back in the plastic bag before holding it out to Sam. In a daze, he took it from her, and the moment her hands were free, she signed. “ _ I’ll drive. You eat in the car _ .” Sam could do nothing but stare as Eileen promptly turned around and picked up her bag, putting away miscellaneous clothes and weapons. When she turned around and started heading for the bathroom, she paused when she took in the sight of Sam, still sitting bewilderedly at the table. “ _ Well? What are you waiting for?”  _ Eileen prodded. And with that, Sam immediately jumped into action, putting down the food to organize his notes and turn off his laptop, still unable to come to terms with things.

  Like, for example, that he was gonna have to talk with his brother in just a few hours, who probably didn’t even want anything to do with Sam.

  Yeah, things were going just peachy.

 

oOo

 

  “Dean, the case is in Phoenix.” Cas stated in confusion, his eyes on Dean as the omega merely grabbed his jacket and other layers to stave off the cold - but firmly avoided grabbing the duffle of weapons that Cas brought in last night, not wanting to leave it in the car, safe as Baby may be.

  “Not going to Phoenix, Cas.” Dean grunted, grabbing his keys before making for the door. Cas hurriedly followed behind, barely grabbing his own trench coat before they were out of the house, the angel donning it as Dean hurriedly strode over to the elevators. 

  “We’re… not?” Cas knit his eyebrows together.

  Dean sighed, looking down before he managed to glance at Cas from the side of his eyes. “Nah, I’m just gonna go out for a drink. You can stay here if you want, you know.” Dean offered, stepping into the elevator.

  But Cas shook his head, stepping in right behind Dean. “You should know by now that wherever you go, I’ll always follow you Dean.” Cas stated flatly, but his words were genuine, as conveyed by the look in his eyes when Dean looked at him. Swallowing, Dean nodded, looking to the keypad as he punched in the button for the ground floor. He didn’t say anything, but he was thankful that Cas was coming with him anyway. He had a feeling it was gonna be a rough day, and if Cas hadn’t joined him, there was a high chance things could go south real fast before Dean even knew what hit him. 

  But with Cas by him, it left Dean free to get completely plastered without worry. Well, any added worries, anyway.

  Which was what Dean proceeded to do the moment he step foot in a nearby bar, walking right up to the bartender and getting her attention. 

  “I’ll have the strongest vodka you’ve got, sweetheart,” He stated, not bothering with any pleasantries and far too drained to even give the poor beta a proper smile. “And just leave the bottle here.” Dean slid into the seat, not bothering to acknowledge Cas as he sat on the barstool beside him. The beta shot Dean an unimpressed stare, but looked to Cas without saying anything.

  “And for you?” She asked, though Cas was already shaking his head. 

  “I’m fine for now, thank you.” He waited until the beta walked a distance away before he brought his mouth close to Dean’s ear, whispering to him. “You sure that’s a good idea?” Cas asked, his breath warm against Dean’s skin. 

  “It’s the best damn idea I’ve had in ages.” Dean retorted, just as the beta came back with the bottle and a glass, pouring Dean his first drink. They fell into silence as Dean quickly chugged the vodka, far more faster that it should have been healthy to, but miraculously, Cas stayed quiet, and Dean even managed to ignore the concerned stare that was digging into the side of his head. For the most part. 

  Or, okay, maybe not much after all. “Quit starin’ at me like that.” Dean grumbled, looking straight ahead as he continued to sip at his second - or maybe it was his third now - round of vodka at a much more lenient pace. 

  “Dean,” Cas began hesitantly. “Maybe we should talk about it. Drinking isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

  “And talking about it will?” Dean hissed, turning around on his chair so that he was now facing Cas as he slammed the glass down on the table, the sticky liquid falling out of the glass and onto his hand with the harsh movement. He paid it no attention. “Cas, I dunno if you noticed, man. But my brother is here. In New York.“

  Cas's face morphed into confusion. “Isn’t that a good thing? You’ve been wanting to see him for a while - we’ve been heading to Phoenix with the intention of stopping by California, don’t pretend I don’t know, Dean.” Cas continued when Dean was visibly taken aback and looked like he wanted to intervene. “And now that he is here, you might as well take advantage of the opportunity to try and talk things out.” 

  Dean scoffed. “Talk things - yeah, right.” He picked his glass of vodka up, holding it near his lips. “If Sam hasn’t hightailed it out of New York already, then yeah, sure, we can have a talk.” Dean said sarcastically. Truthfully, he was pretty damn sure that Sam had long left, and even if he hadn’t, then had forgotten about ever bumping into Dean completely. It wasn’t like they had parted on best terms both times, and yeah, Sam may have seemed all weird last night, but it was probably ‘cause of his work stress or Jess’s death or something. 

  Oh god, Jess...

  “Dean...”

  The bar doors opened in the background, the few people were whispering and laughing, pool balls echoed in the building as they slammed into each other, the bartender smiled a large fake grin as she regarded the newcomers, the brightness of it never lessening as she tossed them a, “ _ What can I getcha?” _

  “I’m gonna be at the pool table.” Dean muttered. If he was gonna be surrounded by so much noise, he might as well immerse himself in it. 

  Dean started to stand up, turning around only to come eye to eye with a familiar jawline. Looking up a little higher, Dean found himself staring into the eyes of an alpha he was hoping he wouldn’t have encountered anytime soon. Figures, it’d be Dean’s luck for Sam to find him again, of course. 

  “Dean.” Sam uttered through clenched teeth. From behind him, Dean could feel Cas standing as well, a far more reassuring presence, had Dean not felt very caved in that moment. Thankfully, Sam took a careful step back, letting Dean have more breathing space. Or maybe he was stepping out of Dean’s punching range, which now that he thought about it, it seemed likely that there was a high chance for him to start swingin’. 

  “Sam.” Dean returned, equally reluctant of not more so. And then, of course, he lost all sense of courteousness though. “What the fuck are you doing here?” He asked. 

  Sam’s face immediately crumpled, but he didn’t back off. If anything, the alpha seemed more determined than anything now, which was making Dean feel on edge and itching to just run off like last night... and all those years ago. 

  “We need to talk.” He instead said, sounding more determined than he actually looked.

  “Jesus, what is it with everyone wanting to go all Dr. Phil all of a sudden?” Dean exclaimed.

  “Look. What you said last night-“

  “Yeah, on the other side of the state.” Dean muttered.

  Sam ignored him, going on. “It made me realize that we might have a few things we need to hash out-“

  “Like what, Sam?” Dean snapped, looking at his brother harshly. “What, you came here to tell me what a slut I am to my face, that it?”

  “I never said that!” Sam exploded, and the bar went silent. Dean kept his eyes trained on the alpha as Sam consciously looked around, wincing slightly as the bartender approached them cautiously. 

  “There a problem, boys?” She asked, her tone warning. Sam shook his head tersely. 

  “Uh, no, ma’am. In fact, we’re just leaving.” 

  Dean huffed, letting himself relax slightly. “Good.” But Sam looked back at him quickly again, his face making Dean regretting speaking too soon.

  “No. Just you and me, we’re gonna take a step outside and keep talking. Eileen and… Cas?” Sam stared at Cas uncertainly, but Dean didn’t budge, not wanting to let Sam know about him only to use it as extra ammunition or something. In the end, it was Cas who had to introduce himself anyway, and Dean just knew that the angel was refraining himself from rolling his eyes, if he hadn’t already.

  “Castiel.” 

  “Casti-“ Sam started nodding before abruptly ceasing the movement, staring at Cas with a weird look on his face. Cas sighed from behind Dean.

  “My father was religious.” He answered the unasked question shortly, and it was sufficient enough for Sam to leave it for now. Actually, forever, if Dean had a choice.

  “C’mon.” Sam turned around, gesturing to the omega behind him with his hands for a few moments, the girl staring intensely at him while somehow maintaining a look of soft understanding on her face. She nodded after a moment, and without a word, Sam turned and strode out of the bar, not looking back at Dean. The girl - Eileen - sat down, looking pointedly at Dean, as if to say, “ _ well?” _

  Dean groaned, looking at Cas. “You can’t seriously expect me to go after him.” At this rate, he wasn’t above begging Cas to fly him out of there. But if the look on Cas's face was anything to go by, the angel was just as likely to dump him outside before disappearing, especially seeing as his earlier advice was to do the same thing that Sam wanted to do right now, and was in fact waiting outside to do that very thing at the moment.

  “Go.” Cas said firmly, even shoving at Dean’s shoulder lightly. “Talk to you brother.”

  “Fine, but when things go south…” Dean warned, though he was already starting to turn for the exit. 

  “I’ll personally take you back home my way.” He said pointedly. Dean glanced at Eileen, before nodding sharply at Cas. That was gonna have to do. 

  But since he was still stuck in the present, Dean forced his feet to start walking, willing his body to just crawl into a hole and disappear even as he kept walking. His hand curled around the knob, pulling the door open, and then he was outside, the bar door closing behind him. A few feet away, blowing air into his hands in an attempt to warm them, Sam was looking resolutely straight ahead, but Dean knew the alpha was aware of his presence. 

  Dean took a few steps closer, but he still stopped a good enough distance away from Sam, imitating him and staring off blankly into the distance. Dean eventually broke the silence, wishing he had a knife or a gun or even brought out a beer to give his hands something to do. “You wanted to talk.” He said, opting for just shoving his hands into his pockets. He ignored how they were practically mirror images of each other now, hands in pockets and refusing to look at each other. “So talk.”

  Sam took a deep breath, and Dean could hear the forced calm behind it. “Why would you think I’d call you a slut?”

  Well. In for a penny, in for a pound.

  “Sure don’t pull your punches, do you.” Dean muttered rhetorically. “And I didn’t just think. Honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t actually come out and said it yet.” 

  Beside him, Sam whirled around, making Dean flinch at the sudden action. He didn’t think Sam noticed, what with him throwing out random words and seemingly struggling to come up with something coherent.

  Dean raised his eyebrows, finally turning to look at Sam as he wondered if the guy was completely A-OK under all that hair of his.

  “The fuck would I call you a slut, man!” Sam finally managed. Dean’s eyebrows only crept higher on his forehead, but Sam seemed content to keep talking, now that he was managing to get his words out in a steady, understandable stream. “Look, I get that the last time we talked, I must have said some stuff that you obviously misunderstood-“

  “Misunderstood?” Dean lost it. “You told Jess you couldn’t trust me as a hunter because I’d be compromised, and then you say it to my face that it’s  _ just because I’m an omega!”  _ Dean shoved Sam, making the man stumble backward a few steps. “So yeah, pardon me if this omega didn’t want you to get killed!” He was already breathing heavily, as if he’d just run a marathon, chest heaving as his fists clenched at sights. In front of him, Sam was steadily getting paler, his scent screaming distressed and regret as he started to take a few steps towards Dean, but when Dean automatically stepped back, Sam stopped, his face looking pained, his voice weak when he tried to speak. 

  “Dean, I never meant that-“ 

  “Like hell you didn’t.” And then, before he even knew what he was doing, his canines were out, teeth bared as he snarled at Sam. 

  Shock radiated from Sam, and this time he stepped back on his own. “Dean, I-“

  “Save it.” Dean turned around, neck straining and rolling around as he tried to retract his canines, nails digging into his palms. After a moment, they thankfully retracted, and he started to head back into the bar.

  Sam’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “Like you’re completely innocent.”

  Dean froze, not turning around. “What did you say?” He asked, his voice deadly silent. He forced himself to stay still as he heard Sam take a few steps forward.  A bead of sweat dripped down his back as he tried not to react, but his muscles refused to relax even as he heard Sam come to a stop, standing only two feet away. The scent of pissed off alpha drifted to his nostrils, and Dean went rigid in fear, trying to ground himself.

  “Don’t act like you didn’t say some shit yourself that night, Dean.” Sam scoffed. Vaguely, Dean spared a moment to wonder if he was emitting the scent of fear like crazy or not, because he doubted Sam was in a state of mind to notice right now, with how worked up he was sounding. “I just wanted out of the life, and what, that gives you the right to call me a traitor? Well, guess what, Dean! Jess is dead, so I guess that makes you win, so you happy now?” And Sam exploded, tugging on Dean’s arm and roughly spinning him around. “I never got out of the life after all, and Jess paid for it with her life!” He was yelling in his face, alpha rage and violence right up his nose, and Dean was gone.

 

  “ _ You try running from me again, and I’ll be doing this to your brother instead!” Alastair yelled. The whip came down on his back, the pricks along the length of it immediately attaching to his skin and tearing Dean’s flesh apart as it was pulled down.  _

_ Dean moaned in pain, tears streaming down his face. _

_ “Wasn’t our terms clear?” Alastair hissed in his ear, suddenly in front of him and working four fingers inside him at once. Dean screamed, trying to push his body away from the intrusion, but unable to move, the ropes holding him tight. “You’re my bitch, I’m your master, and Sam is a free man.” The fingers twisted within him, and Dean could feel his rim tearing. “‘Course, not completely free, but you get the point.” _

 

  “-ean! DEAN!”

  Dean gasped, his vision clearing, though his ears were still ringing at the memory as he blinked, looking… up at Cas? 

  “Oh, Dean.” Cas bent his head down in relief, touching his forehead to Dean’s as he took in a deep breath. Dimly, he could register the feeling of Cas's wings brushing against him, but for some reason, Dean couldn’t actually see them, which was severely unnerving.

  “Cas?” Dean rasped out, and frowned when his voice failed to comply properly. “What the hell-“

  “Is he okay?” The sound of his brother’s voice cutting in abruptly brought Dean back to the present, and he immediately felt cold and far too exposed at that moment, even more so when Cas suddenly ripped away from him.

  “Don’t.” Cas's voice was cold and brook no argument, and beyond him, Dean could see Sam stopping in his tracks, a hand outstretched as if he was reaching for Dean. 

  “You’ve done enough.”

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 43

 

  “You’ve done enough.”

  Sam pulled his hand back, the shock coursing through him to blame for that action. Not once since he’d met the man, though he stayed in the background for the most part, not once did Castiel actually seem to react negatively to Sam’s presence. Actually, after Eileen told him herself that Castiel had been interpreting for her the previous night, while he wasn’t completely appeased with the man’s existence and as of yet unknown relationship with Dean - though potential mate may have been a guess, and Sam wasn’t entirely comfortable with that, like, at all - Sam didn’t think they minded each other much.

  But right now, he was getting the feeling that he had been very wrong.

  “I wanted you two to talk, but this, Sam Winchester-“ Castiel cut himself off, turning back to Dean. 

  His brother, who had been snarling and yelling at him like a feral had suddenly gone pale when Sam grabbed on to him, and one moment Sam was talking - okay, he may have definitely been speaking louder than necessary - but the next moment, Dean was as still as a marble statue, his eyes glassy and distant. When Sam let go, realizing his brother wasn’t paying attention to him, his rage turned to slight concern. And then - metaphorically - blew out into a full on panic attack when Dean fell. 

  He had no idea where Castiel came from, but he was thankful, if suspicious, because even Sam’s insane reflexes wouldn’t have stopped Dean from cracking his skull on the pavement had Castiel not practically pulled an Edward Cullen and appeared out of nowhere to cradle Dean’s head as he took the omega’s weight to gently lower him onto the ground. And after that, Sam took a step back, a burning hole in his chest as a weird, unneeded feeling erupted within him, watching Castiel trying to rouse his brother. It took a few minutes, and Sam was aware of the crowd gathering around them the entire time, but he paid them no attention, his eyes glued to Dean as he willed his brother to wake up, praying that everything was fine. Even though it sure as hell wasn’t. Everything seemed far from, if anything. 

  And then Dean was awake, and Castiel was going all territorial on Dean, his stance and scent screaming at Sam to step back or  _ else _ . Had Sam been a lesser man, he probably would have been running off in the other direction. But he was an alpha, and a hunter, trained by John Winchester himself at that, so Sam stood his ground, and as much as he would have liked to glare back at Castiel and show him he wasn’t going anywhere, concern won over him, and he found himself trying to come across as appeasing while simultaneously hoping Dean would sit up and look at  _ him,  _ dammit. 

  He didn’t, though, not until he grabbed onto one of Castiel’s arms, the man helping Dean up. It didn’t pass Sam’s notice as to how they held on to each other for a moment before letting go, Dean seemingly self consciously taking step away from Castiel to put some distance between them. Castiel didn’t react, but Sam briefly wondered if he wanted to anyway, and would have, had Sam not been there.

  The two exchanged a glance, words unsaid aloud passing through them with that one action, before Dean turned back to Sam. But he didn’t meet Sam’s eyes. 

  “Look. You got out. You’re living your life. I’m still living my own, and it’s worked out well for the both of us. So you should just go back to California, Sam-“

  He couldn’t help himself. A disbelieving laugh escaped Sam, cutting Dean off, and Castiel started to glare at him sharply. “Worked out well? Dean, Jess died, and you’re having a panic attack on the middle of the road - now I’ll admit, we might not know what happened to each other in the past few years, so yeah, maybe we’ve got a lot to catch up on, but c’mon Dean. Even I know that you shouldn’t be blacking out if things really have worked out well.”

  “So what’re you saying, huh?” Dean snapped, taking a step forward, fists trembling by his sides in rage. Behind him, Castiel looked like he wanted to reach out, but was barely managing to refrain himself. “That, what, now we’ve gotta stick together? Pretend like nothing happened or something, and just go hunting together like the old days? This isn’t a Beach Boys song, Sam!” Dean threw his fists up. Sam counted it as a win that it wasn’t aimed at him. The man really knew how to use his hands. He was every bit of John’s son as Sam was, after all.

  “I didn’t say that, Dean.” Sam bit out, done with everything at this point. “You don’t want me in your life? Fine. But we’re still talking about what we said to each other that night, because I’m getting the feeling that we threw some things out there we didn’t mean, and…” Sam hesitated, suddenly unsure as he drew a hand through his hair. At this point, he wasn’t even sure why he was so adamant that they had to talk, because try as he might, he couldn’t really see what would come out of this. Dean reestablishing how much he resented Sam? Sam completely breaking any semblances of a relationship he might have hoped to salvage? 

  But some time part within him, that whispered to Sam that maybe, maybe he could walk out of this with his brother by his side… that part of him made Sam keep talking. “And Dean, if there’s a chance I could get my brother back in my life, I don’t even care how,” Sam hastened to add. “You can hunt on your own terms, or we can hunt together, but Dean. I just want my brother back.” He finished.

  Sam knew his entire being was radiating for permission from his brother, and though it was itching at the back of his mind that John would be turning in his grave right now at the show of vulnerability, Sam couldn’t bring himself to give a damn as long as his brother would just say yes at this point. 

  Which is when it struck him how quiet, and more frighteningly,  _ pale _ , his brother was looking.

  “Dean?” Sam reached out cautiously, and instantly Castiel was at Dean’s side, peering at him with no small amounts of concern flowing from him. But Dean shook his head before Castiel could say anything, blinking at Sam.

  “I… I never said I wanted you out of my life, Sam. You were the one who was so happy with your normal-“

  “Yeah, well, I guess I’m not anymore.” Sam returned harshly, chuckling bitterly before forcing himself to stop at the fire in Castiel’s eyes at that. Jeez, the guy was practically a guard dog, he wondered how Dean was even tolerating the alpha’s actions. There was no way the Dean he knew would allowed himself to be coddled like this, but then again. Maybe he didn’t know his brother as well as he thought, which was becoming more and more likely.

  Dean nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking a lot more withdrawn and speculative as his eyes lowered to the ground. He chuckled without humor, his head bouncing with the movement. “Guess we’ve got a lot to go over, huh?”

  Sam could feel his muscles slumping with relief, as if a heavy burden has just lifted from his shoulders, leaving him feeling a lot lighter now. “Yeah,” he huffed, almost disbelievingly. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

 

oOo

 

  They ended up driving back to their apartment, Cas and Dean in Baby with Sam and Eileen following behind in their own rental. The bartender had been shooting them nasty looks when they got back in, so after paying for their drinks, they made a hasty retreat, Cas quietly suggesting to Dean that they could take this to his brother’s shop if he still felt uncomfortable being alone with only them - Cas clearly implying that he’d never leave Dean, and while they weren’t sure about the omega, the girl would probably be more at ease in public setting as well, even if she was obviously there for Sam.

  Admittedly, it was exactly what Dean needed to hear. On one hand, being able to talk privately might be helpful and Dean wouldn’t feel too self conscious, but on the other hand, the idea of Sam walking into the life Dean had been so carefully building for himself - and still was - made Dean feel suddenly claustrophobic. Looking at it that way, having Gabe nearby and risk his jokes or judging seemed better, even though a part of Dean knew that the angel wasn’t that inconsiderate and would most likely stay quiet in respect for their privacy.

  Or maybe he wouldn’t. Dean didn’t know.

  But right now, Dean was just thankful for the privacy he finally was able to obtain with Cas, in his car, driving to their apartment.

  “Dean.” Cas spoke first, tentatively reaching out to reach out for Dean’s hand, At first, Dean entertained the notion of keeping his hand firmly glued to the wheel, the thought of Cas touching him making Dean want to shy away. But the moment Cas's fingers grazed the back of Dean’s right hand, he immediately loosened the muscles, letting go and readjusting his grip on the wheel with his other hand as his right hand clasped on to Cas's, turning it around so that their palms were connected. The moment their fingers were interlinked, Dean sighed, slumping in his seat. “Are you okay?”

  For a moment, Dean didn’t answer, staring straight ahead as the road whizzed past by under his Baby’s wheels. He spared a moment to think of all the events that had just happened to him within the course of 24 hours, and really, the answer immediately jumped to his tongue.

  “No. I’m not.” Dean answered truthfully. He tilted his head, looking at Cas beside him, and he knew his face went soft though, and he didn’t stop himself from adding on. “But I think… I think I might get there.” He tightened his grip on Cas's fingers, casting him a soft smile. After a moment’s hesitation, Cas returned it, though the concern was still clear in his eyes. 

  They didn’t let go of each other’s hands until the ride back.

 

oOo

 

  Sam wasn’t really sure what to expect when he walked in to the establishment his brother and Castiel led them into. Actually, he wasn’t really even paying much attention to his surroundings until he set foot inside the cafe - barely glancing at the label ‘ _ Sweet Stop’  _ above the cafe’s entrance and below the second floor’s window. Out of habit, that he had only just managed to break himself out of until Jess’s death, he made a cursory glance around the store, and then had to do a double take to properly take in his surroundings. It was a cheery place, the entire area giving out mouth watering aromas of bakery items and drinks and spices. To a side of the wall, there was a collection of children’s art accumulating on it, under painted calligraphic words announcing ‘ _ Art of the Week’ _ . And ahead was the counter, with a decent line already forming, the two people behind it working efficiently as a girl took the orders and a guy ran to and fro to get it done, moving with an odd sort of fluidity as he quickly took out bakery items from the display case. 

  Castiel muttered something in Dean’s ear, Sam catching snatches of “ _ sit down,”  _ and “ _ bring the drinks,”  _ before he was striding off to the counter, trench coat flapping behind him as he surpassed the line and joined the employees behind the counter. Raising his eyebrows, Sam was temporarily distracted by Dean walking off to the side, gesturing for Sam and Eileen to follow him as he walked all the way to a booth in the back of the cafe, a well secluded spot, considering. 

  “So, uh, Castiel work here or something?” Sam asked, as he took a seat opposite Dean, Eileen sliding in beside Sam. 

  Dean snorted, shaking his head as he crossed his arms on the table. “His, uh, brother,” Dean clarified. “Gabe owns the shop.”

  Sam’s eyebrows rose, impressed as he nodded, but he didn’t pursue the subject. Instead, he interlinked his fingers and rested them atop the table, clearing his throat. Aware that Dean was staring at him the entire time, he couldn’t really bring himself to look up from his hands as he decided that he was probably the one who had to break the ice first.

  “So, uh,” he cracked a smile he wasn’t really feeling, letting out a gust of air as he still stared resolutely at the table. “Four years, man.” He twisted his fingers. “Four years, and yeah, I guess we said stuff that, you know, we totally didn’t mean, but Dean,” Sam looked up, feeling lost and hopeless and knowing it was showing on his face. “You didn’t check on me once? And don’t tell me you secretly visited. I may have not been hunting, but I kept my eyes open, Dean.” Sam’s voice steadily increased in heat, as he leaned forward, looking at his brother square in the eyes. “And I know you didn’t once,  _ once, _ come to check on me.” He didn’t bother hiding the hurt from his voice. He blinked, trying to dispel the tears that had collected at his eyes, and when his vision cleared, he was admittedly a bit vindictive to see Dean looking taken aback. 

  After a strong moment of tense silence, Dean cleared his throat, this time dropping his own gaze. “I knew you were fine, Sam.”

  “Oh yeah?” Sam shot back, his voice coming out icy before he could stop it. “How?”

  But Dean didn’t reply, as Castiel chose that moment to set a tray of drinks in front of them, sitting down beside Dean. His brother brought his hands down under the table, leaving it there as Castiel freed the drinks from the tray and set a cup of coffee in front of Sam, Eileen, Dean, and then only for himself. They stayed silent as Castiel finished passing the coffee around, taking a drink from his own coffee and then setting it down. 

  Sam didn’t miss the way the two men across from him exchanged wordless glances, before Castiel looked straight at Sam.

  “So. You’ve been a lawyer for how many years now?” 

  Sam leaned back in his seat, taking the coffee with careful fingers. “I, uh, got an internship when I was 22.” He stared at Dean, who was now steadfastly ignoring his gaze as he took his own drink from in front of him. 

  He knew what his brother was thinking though. Sam may not recognize a lot of aspects of the man who was sitting in front of him, but he knew enough to know that they were both thinking of the same thing; that fateful day of harsh words used to hurt and sting without any thoughts of consequences. Admittedly, if Sam knew the results would be to not see his brother for four years, he’d have gladly kept his mouth shut and taken whatever Dean threw at him, at least if it meant that Sam wouldn’t have had to feel like a stranger now.

  “Worked under a really great lawyer, taught me almost everything I knew.” Almost subconsciously, Sam put down the cup after taking a sip, leaving them free to start signing for Eileen, filling her in on what was being said, angling himself more towards her and leaning a bit back as he did so, so that she would see him better. “And yeah, a few years later, I sort of stepped up, got my own position as a lawyer, got some clients for myself and… other stuff.” He trailed off, shrugging, feeling suddenly uncomfortable for talking about himself. He finished signing, and then rubbed at the back of his hands, trying to pass it off as cramps. 

  But Castiel raised an impressed eyebrow, looking like he wasn’t gonna leave the subject anytime soon. 

  “That’s admirable, for you to have gained a reputation so soon already.” Sam frowned, but Castiel kept going on. “There aren’t many who can accomplish that.”

  “Wait,” Sam raised his hands, stopping the man from going further. “Who told you I’ve got a reputation?” He glared, feeling something niggling at the back of his mind. Sam paused, before turning his glare at Dean. “I can’t believe you!” He hissed, feeling outrage, but remembering what happened, he forced himself to not let it seep through from his senses.  “You had people watching me?”

  “Woah, woah, woah, hold on now!” Dean exclaimed, bringing his hands up. “I didn’t have anyone watching you, alright? But we, uh-“ Dean rubbed the back of his neck, and Sam took comfort in at least that one familiar tell. “We looked you up,” Dean said, glancing at Castiel from the side of his eye. “You’ve got your own page on your site and all, I gotta admit, that’s sounds pretty reputable to me, Sam.” Dean was looking back at Sam now, fidgeting with his cup, and though his eyes were guarded, there was something genuine in his tone, enough for it to leave Sam feeling pretty embarrassed again. Dean cracked a smile. It was small, but it was something. “Tax lawyer, huh?” Dean shook his head, sipping his coffee as he looked out the window.

  Sam looked down, the insinuation clear, but he was too tired to get angry anymore. “Yeah.” He muttered quietly, almost bitterly. “Tax lawyer.”

  Eileen sighed beside him, and for a Deaf person, it was such a small sound that Sam doubted anyone else would have heard of it - hell, he’d have probably missed it if he wasn’t sitting right by her. 

  “Oh, don’t mind him,” she spoke aloud, her voice slightly stuffed. “He’s too modest. But he’s the best lawyer out there.” Eileen smiled at him, patting his arm reassuringly, and though Sam wasn’t feeling up to it, he smiled back at her. He was at least able to be happy enough that she was trying so much for his sake, god knew why. When Sam looked back up, Dean was looking at Eileen’s hand on his arm with a shrewd expression, and Sam blushed, knowing where his brother’s mind would be going. Clearing his throat, Sam straightened, and though he didn’t move his arm - he wasn’t that rude - Eileen still slipped her hand off of Sam’s arm. But she didn’t smell or otherwise seem to hurt by the action, and Sam internally sighed with relief. He had enough on his plate with Dean and him still being on edge, he’d rather not have the one person on his side upset with him as well. 

  “So we’ve read.” Castiel carefully replied, his voice and expression ever even, to the point of being almost blank. “Eileen,” Castiel suddenly stood up, looking behind them for a second before he put down his cup, leaving his hands free to sign, moving faster and with so much more grace and fluidity than Sam could ever hope to accomplish as he refocused his gaze on Eileen. “My brother - who runs this shop by the way - has just taken a fresh batch of bakeries out of the oven. Would you care to accompany me to try some of them?” Eileen stared at him for a second, before looking to Sam, then at Dean, then back at Sam, a smart, calculating look passing her eyes before she stood up, getting out of the booth.

  “I’d love to.” She said, signing as well, before picking up her half empty coffee cup. “A refill also would do wonders. This coffee is really good.” She said, signing one handed as she took a sip. Castiel smiled at her as they started walking away, the two glancing at Sam and Dean behind them before walking off. “Is your brother behind the ingenuity of the drinks as well?” Sam heard her ask, but whatever Cas muttered back with was swallowed up in the distance.

  Dean was looking at their disappearing forms with an unimpressed stare when Sam turned back to look at them. 

  “Subtle, huh?” Sam guessed, and he was rewarded with a dry chuckle from Dean. 

  “Yeah,” he took another sip from his coffee, shaking his head. “Real subtle.”

  Sam toyed with the edges of his cup. “That’s all I really did though,” he abruptly said, not looking up. “Just, sort of got swallowed up in law work, you know?” He chugged down a gulp, letting the coffee sit on his tongue for as long as he could. It helped that the taste actually was addicting, with just the right amount of bitterness for a simple black coffee, and it didn’t taste like the machines it was brewed from, unlike so many other beverages from other cafes. “I didn’t hunt. Hell, I didn’t even ward off our apartments,” Sam felt his mood darken. “But maybe I should have.” 

  He felt Dean’s stare land on him heavily. “What?”

  Sam grit his teeth, looking up. “Jess died in a fire.” He said simply. Dean paled, his eyes widening, but didn’t say anything. “You knew.” Sam couldn’t believe it. But then he scoffed, shaking it. Of course, Dean knew. Why he even let it surprise him at this point, Sam didn’t know. 

  “Let me guess, you read that on the news as well?” Sam asked, a shaky smile matching the tremors in his hand as he lifted the cup to his mouth, his eyes anything but amused as he stared at Dean. Internally, he started to rage at the pity Dean was starting to look at him with. “Don’t look at me like that.” Sam snapped, slamming the coffee back on the table. 

  Dean jumped, staring at the cup uneasily, but at least he wasn’t looking at Sam anymore. “Yeah,” He replied, his voice soft. “You could say that.” 

  Sam hummed. “Yeah, well,” and despite all the coffee he’d been drinking, Sam’s throat went dry. “I don’t think it was just an accident.” And with that, Dean’s head immediately snapped right back up, staring at Sam with with a carefully blank face.

  “Come again?”

  “Jess’s death,” Sam repeated, gritting his teeth as his nails dug into the soft cup. “I don’t think it’s an accident. Neither does Eileen, actually. It’s why she’s here.” 

  “Listen, Sam-“ Dean’s voice was urgent, evoking Sam to look up at his beseeching face, just as his phone rang. Already with the mind to ignore it, he took out his cell, but then paused when he saw the ID flashing on the screen. She never really called him, not unless he called her first. Feeling extremely torn, and also with something tickling at his gut, Sam took the call, trying to convey an apologetic look at Dean as he did. His brother, after a moment, leaned back, visibly forcing himself into a much more collected pose, but his gaze was stormy as he looked out the window, jaw clenched tightly.

  “Ruby?”

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 44

 

  “ _ Hey, Sam.” _

  Sam frowned, twisting in his seat as if about to get up, but the fact that his brother was right across him kept him rooted to his spot. 

  “Is everything alright?” He asked, keeping his voice low as he glanced at Dean. His brother was still looking studiously out the window, and Sam to hold back a sigh as he mentally willed Ruby to speak faster.

  “ _ Uh… no, I don’t think so.”  _ Ruby said, after a long moment’s pause. 

  Sam straightened, his senses tingling. “Where are you? Is everything alright?”

  Over the phone, Ruby gave a fake nervous laugh. “ _ One question at a time, Sam.”  _ Ruby hesitated, and Sam held his breath as he worriedly waited for her to go on. “ _ And, no. I don’t think so.” _

  Sam stood up, garnering Dean’s attention as he hissed urgently into the phone. “Ruby. What’s wrong?” He asked firmly, hoping the alpha would just give him a direct answer. 

  “ _ So, yeah, you know the big shot client you stood for here?” _

  Sam frowned. “The client you had me fly to New York for?” He clarified, his eyes once again sliding to Dean, slightly startled when he met his brother’s eyes, the omega’s eyebrows raised. God, he was so thankful for Ruby for having brought him here, but now whatever was having her talk in circles and obviously in trouble made him want to bash his head. 

  “ _ Uh huh, about that. So the guy who filed the complaint against him wasn’t too happy…”  _ Sam groaned, getting the gist of it. “ _ Yeah, _ ” Ruby confirmed, sounding apologetic. “ _ If it helps any, he just wants to have a talk.” _

  “No, it really doesn’t!” Sam exclaimed, running his free hand through his hair and then rubbing at his face. “Can this really not wait?” 

  “ _ I don’t think so.”  _ Ruby replied, her voice urgent. Sam cursed.

  “Alright. Damn it, but fine. Where are you?” 

  She rattled off an address as Sam patted at his pockets for a pen. Grabbing it, he looked helplessly around for a paper, until Dean grabbed a napkin from the dispense, handing it over. Taking it with a grateful nod, he flattened it against the table, copying down the address in shorthand. He repeated the address back to her, and when he was sure he got it right, he cut the call with brisk movements. 

  “Work?” Dean asked, and Sam froze. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to sit down, to talk with his brother, now that he felt like he was finally getting somewhere with his brother. Of course it didn’t last for long. 

  But Dean only looked back at him with an understanding look in his eye, and it made Sam’s insides churn with guilt all the more. “It’s fine, Sam. I’m not going anywhere.” At Sam’s raised eyebrow at that, Dean rolled his eyes. “Jesus, fine. I live on the eleventh of this building. Believe me when I say we’re not going anywhere, alright? Now, hurry up and go, wouldn’t want you fired or anything.”

  Sam grit his teeth, and really, it was a god honest surprise he hadn’t ground it to dust by now. Really, he didn’t care about his job as much as Dean right now, but if not his job, at least for Ruby, who sounded seriously off. In all his time knowing her, Sam had never heard Ruby sound like she wasn’t in control of the situation, even when she was consoling him over his loss. But now, she was definitely scared, and Sam wasn’t gonna have anything happen to her, even if by a normal guy - an idiotic human with the worst sense of timing possible ever - who just didn’t know how to take his losses very well. 

  So with a reluctant nod, he got out of the booth, napkin clutched in hand as he looked down at Dean. “I’ll probably be done before closing time.” Sam mentioned, and Dean nodded. 

  “Place will close up at its regular time - which is pretty late in itself - but if it takes longer, we’ll be waiting here even after closing.” Dean offered. Sam smiled, a little bit forced, a little bit genuine. It was enough of an olive branch that he definitely wasn’t gonna miss out on any time soon.

  “I’ll be here before then.” Sam promised, walking out of the booth. As he made to the cafe’s exit, he spotted Eileen and Castiel standing together near the alpha’s brother just as he reached the door, a small crowd of what Sam guessed were art students making their way in at that moment and blocking Sam’s path to Eileen. Catching her eye, he knew it would be a hopeless endeavor to yell at her, and he really wasn’t up to navigating politely through a gaggle of hipsters, so he just raised his hands above his head, hoping the purposeful mistake could be brushed off. Signing quickly, “ _ work - will come back soon,” _ he waved to her, ignoring her frown as he exited the cafe. 

  Breathing in the fresh air, Sam looked down at the slightly crumpled napkin in his hand, noting the address. Frowning, he looked up, trying to find a street sign, and sure enough, the address on the napkin was just a couple of blocks over. Going at a jog, Sam kept at an even pace until he found himself at a nondescript building, staring at it with a skeptical stare. Sighing, he straightened his black blazer, tugging on it as he stepped inside. He wasn’t wearing a suit, choosing to dress casually whenever he wasn’t needed at work, and a white shirt under a blazer, over a pair of dark jeans and casual black oxfords was, while probably unfitting for a client, was as casual as he could get in his current life. Granted, Sam was always particular to the flannel he associated to hunting, but that was it. He’d associated it to hunting too much, and hence, tried to remove anything and everything from that life as much as possible.

  Except maybe he’d gone too far, if that meant he’d ended up in not seeing Dean for years.

  But, Sam shook his head, he found him now. And they were talking - skirting around what really needed to be spoken about, yeah, sure, but they were talking. And that was a lot more than a week ago, so tiny steps. Or something.

  Rolling his eyes at the out of order sign and cautionary tapes at the elevator doors, Sam redirected himself to the stairs, and taking larger steps, he ascended the steps in threes. Slightly out of breath by the time he reached the sixth floor, he entered the hallway, raising an eyebrow at the emptiness of it. Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen or even  _ smelled  _ anyone since he came in here…

  Senses on higher alert, Sam stepped forward with more caution, eyes automatically taking in his surroundings as he switched to hunter mode. Sincerely wishing he brought a gun with him, and regretting that he hadn’t - Dean would have definitely been armed even on a casual day - Sam walked to the end of the hallway, glaring at the number plate on the door, slightly shaking his head free from any other distracting thoughts. There was definitely something wrong here, and he couldn’t afford not paying attention right now.

  Knocking on the door, his frown intensified when the door pushed open at the touch. Crouching into a pose ready to fight, Sam pushed the door open a little further, slipping in cautiously. 

  “Ruby?”

 

oOo

 

  Dean leaned back in his chair, his heart thudding rapidly against his chest as he forced himself to calm down. He turned to look out the window, jaw clenching as he tried to rein in his emotions and keep them in check.

  “Ruby?” 

  Though he wasn’t looking at Sam, he could smell the mix of frustration and impatience radiating from Sam, enough to fill him in on how his brother probably looked at that moment. Dean couldn’t hear the voice on the other end of the line from where he was sitting, but he could hear the sound of a woman’s voice faintly from the speaker anyway. He tuned them out though, his heart still refusing to settle down until he addressed it. When Sam stood up, Dean looked at his brother, but he was too far gone in his thoughts to be listening in on whatever Sam was saying anyway.

  Sam knew something wasn’t right with Jess’s death. And Sam was in New York. Where Dean was. It wasn’t Detroit, or hell, even Topeka, but it was still where Dean was. And that could only spell trouble. He must have found something. That was the only logical explanation for Sam to be here right now, but what, Dean had no idea, and it was taking everything in him at that moment to not flip the table and just demand it from his brother himself. Because that, for many obvious reasons, would definitely not go well.

   “The client you had me fly to New York for?”

  And, okay, that got Dean’s attention. So maybe Sam didn’t find anything after all… 

  Dean’s head immediately snapped to Sam, meeting Sam’s distracted gaze, though the alpha widened his eyes, as if he wasn’t expecting Dean to be looking at him. But then he was frowning again, listening intently to whatever the woman - Ruby - was saying across the line. Sam suddenly groaned, and after a moment, exclaimed far too loudly for a cafe’s atmosphere. 

  “No, it really doesn’t!” Sam ran his free hand through his hair and then rubbed at his face. “Can this really not wait?” A second later, he cursed.

  “Alright. Damn it, but fine. Where are you?” 

  Listening intently, Sam started to pat at his pockets before coming up with a pen. Looking around hopelessly, Dean immediately recognized the gesture, and took out a napkin from the dispenser by his elbow, holding it out to his brother. Sam nodded at him distractedly, already flattening it against the table as he wrote down an address, repeating it aloud to the person on the line. In the next moment, he cut the call, straightening up as he simultaneously pocketed his phone and folded the napkin in half, clutching it tightly. 

  “Work?” Dean asked, eyebrow raising by a margin when Sam froze. But seeing the frustration - which wasn’t as easy to read as many years ago, when Sam was younger… years as a lawyer must have finally taught the younger Winchester a better a poker face than Dean could teach Sam himself, apparently - and a clearer battle playing across his face, Dean couldn’t help his omega self from morphing his own face into one of sympathy. Before he could do anything about about it, Sam caught the look on his face, which only ended up making Sam smell like guilt instead. That evoked Dean to hasten and speak up to reassure his brother. “It’s fine, Sam. I’m not going anywhere.” When Sam’s raised a skeptical eyebrow at that - which, yeah, totally called for - Dean rolled his eyes. “Jesus, fine.” He wasn’t really fine with what he was about to blurt out, but seeing as it was already rolling his tongue, Dean just went with it. If anyone asked, he seriously was gonna blame it on his inner omega reaching out for the alpha he’d practically raised when they were both children. “I live on the eleventh floor of this building. Believe me when I say we’re not going anywhere, alright?” Dean tried not to cringe at his own admission, already internally beating himself up for it though as every other parts of him that wasn’t caring omega yelled at him for not having the sense of self preservation. Though really, against Sam - with Cas by his side no matter who against? Dean seriously didn’t have anything to worry about that. Now, if only he could get his whole body up to par with that little bit of info, everything would be just great. “Now, hurry up and go, wouldn’t want you fired or anything.” Dean shooed the alpha, trying to will the man into action. It took a tense moment of Sam looking for all the world as if he’d much rather just sit with Dean - and yeah, Dean was a bit disappointed and also relieved at that. Disappointment that Sam was still going choose this apple-pie-white-house-with-a-picket-fence-life over his family, though really, Dean’d think he’d have gotten the memo by now, but he was also relieved that this… talk. They apparently oh-so-desperately needed to have was still gonna be put off for just the slightest bit longer… though again, disappointment, really, because Dean was actually starting to feel more prepared for it. Now he was just gonna have to stew in his nerves for even longer, which he guessed he could have done without.

  Really, Dean could have done without the past few years, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.

  Sam nodded, a stiff movement as he got out of the booth, white napkin with the black colored address still in hand. “I’ll probably be done before closing time.” Sam said, looking at Dean. Dean nodded. 

  “Place will close up at its regular time - which is pretty late in itself - but if it takes longer, we’ll be waiting here even after closing.” Dean offered. Sam smiled, the action for some reason making him look more constipated than anything else though. Dean suddenly wondered if maybe Sam was actually looking for a way out. It would make a lot more sense as to why he was leaving now after all…

  But Sam looked at him with such genuine signs of promise in his eyes, that it almost caught Dean off guard. “I’ll be here before then.” He walked out of the booth, and it wasn’t hard for Dean to keep his eyes on his giant brother making his way out of the cafe, stopping to let a group of customers pass before rising his hands and making weird gestures. Frowning, Dean followed his line of sight, eyebrows rising in comprehension when he saw Eileen looking back at Sam, before Sam finally left the cafe with a hasty wave.

  Sighing, Dean settled back down in his booth, cradling the cup of coffee in his hands. He’d barely raised it to his lips before Cas was storming back, looking at him with no small amounts of concern as he sat himself down by Dean, so close that their sides were pressed against each other even though Cas was angled in a way to actually face him.

  “Is everything alright?” He asked softly, and that’s when Dean noticed the small slice of pie Cas was pushing over to him on the table. Shooting Cas a fond look, he set the coffee back down, but he didn’t touch the pie yet.

  “Where’s Eileen?” He asked instead, ignoring Cas's frown at Dean’s obvious sidestepping of his question.

  He went along with it anyway. “She’s with Gabriel - he’s just taken out a batch of chocolate flavored, well, everything, and she’s trying it out for him.” 

  Dean raised his eyebrows, forcing out a laugh that he wasn’t really feeling. “So he found a new guinea pig, huh?”

  Case frowned, but nodded slowly. “I think the correct term would be that she’s merely entertaining him.” At that, a more genuine smile escaped Dean’s lips, though it was still a bit tainted with discomfort.

  Beside him, Cas sighed, looking reluctant to get the words out, and Dean just wished he’d stay silent, but he had a feeling he wasn’t gonna be able to stop Cas from asking his question now. And besides, Dean had a pretty good idea what Cas was gonna say anyway.

  “Did Sam say anything? I saw him signing to Eileen that he’ll be back, and Eileen is still here…” Cas trailed off, looking at Dean hopelessly, before seemingly deciding to go through with his question. “Is everything alright?” He simply repeated. 

  Dean sighed, unwittingly stabbing at his pie harshly. He hung his head, closing his eyes and took a few deep breaths, pondering the question.  _ Was _ he okay? Yesterday, he found his brother, today, apparently the last time they’d ever talked to each other and said things to the other person - or yelled - was actually pretty much false, and now his brother practically hightailed it before they could actually get to talking, because of a work issue. 

  “I’m gonna have to get back to you on that, Cas.” Dean finally grunted, letting the small fork fall free from his hand. It fell against the plate with a clatter, but Dean paid it no attention, because the next second, Cas was grasping his hand.  

  “If you need anything...”

  Dean shot him a grateful look, tightening his hold on Cas's hand. “I‘ll hold you to that.”

  Cas stroked the back of Dean’s hand with a careful thumb, the soft touch causing streaks of sparks to alight under his skin. Dean barely managed to hold back a shudder of delight at the sensation. 

  “Of course, Dean.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serious warnings for torture and implication/beginnings of non con at the end  
> Without further ado, Chapter 13!

Sweet Stop - Chapter 45

 

  Hours went by with Dean growing increasingly agitated. Cas sat by him the whole time, never once letting go of Dean’s hand, until after a while, unable to take it, Dean pulled his hand free under a guise of needing to stretch. 

  “I’m gonna get some fresh air.” Dean muttered to Cas, standing up. Cas stood as well, exiting the booth so Dean could step out, but he didn’t once remove his concerned gaze from Dean. 

  “Would you like me to bring you something to warm you up? It’s getting cold.” Cas said softly, placing a hand on Dean’s arm gently. It was true, with the sun setting, the temperature was also dropping, and a coffee didn’t sound too bad, if it weren’t for the fact that Dean had had enough coffee for one day, not to mention he didn’t think he’d be able to stomach anything else at the moment. 

  “I’m fine.” Dean muttered. He tried to give Cas a reassuring smile anyway, but when it came out far too strained and caused Cas to sigh, Dean let it drop. “I’ll just be out for a moment.”

  Cas nodded, letting his hand fall free from Dean’s arm. “He did say he’ll be back before closing. And Eileen is still here.”

  Dean looked away, catching a glimpse of Eileen as he did so. Sure enough, she was leaning against the counter, out of the way from the last few customers getting their orders, signing animatedly with Balt. The beta had dropped by a while ago for one reason or the other, and instead got held up by whatever he and Eileen were discussing about. And yeah, sure, the cafe wasn’t closed yet, but the sun wasn’t taking its time, and once it set, the cafe would only be open for a while longer after dusk.

  “Yeah,” Dean managed to reply. “I know.” He absently leaned forward, pecking Cas on the cheek before freezing, face reddening as he realized what he had just done, his lips still brushing against Cas's skin. With Cas this close, Dean was practically enveloped in the smell of ozone and mildew, the scent giving him a heady feeling, and suddenly, Dean wasn’t completely averse to the idea of just standing there with his nose buried in the crook of Cas's neck. But he forced himself to lean back, nervous of Cas's reaction.

  But the angel was only smiling softly at Dean, and cupping Dean’s cheek, he placed a kiss on Dean’s cheek in return. “I’m always here for you.” Cas murmured in Dean’s ear, before pulling away.

  Feeling blown away by Cas's affection, the need to escape all this conflicting emotions arose again within Dean, stronger than before though, and his eyes darkened. Nodding at Cas, he finally turned away and made his way to the exit, ignoring Eileen’s eyes focusing on him as he pushed the door open. 

  He took a deep breath of the cold air, the warmth of the cafe already being chased away from his skin by the chill winter air. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Dean turned, deciding to walk around the block for a bit, only to come face to face with his brother himself.

  “Dean!” Sam exclaimed, looking absolutely surprised. “I was just gonna come in, and…” Sam trailed off, letting out an awkward chuckle as he dragged a hand through his hair, looking down. His face was pale, but the tips of his nose and his cheeks were red in a sharper contrast.

  Dean blinked, trying to process the situation. “Uh…” He tried to get his throat to work, before Sam cut in, looking at him earnestly.

  “I guess you wanted to walk or go for a drive or something? I mean, you mentioned you guys live here,” Sam waved vaguely towards the upper floors of the building they were still standing near the entrance - well, one of the entrances, anyway, and more notably, the one that led directly into Sweet Stop. “So you’re probably not going home?” Sam said, hazarding a guess. 

  Dean somehow found himself nodding, before blinking again, eyebrows arising as he forced his body to start cooperating and functioning right. “Yeah, uh, walk. I mean, I was going for a walk,” Dean clarified. “But, you might as well join me. We still gotta talk and stuff, and I’m already out here, so…”

  “Yeah, yeah - of course!” Sam nodded, coming to fall in step with Dean, and after a moment they started walking rather aimlessly, Sam still struggling to make sense. “Yeah, we can talk as we walk, and - yeah.” Sam abruptly shut up, his teeth clacking as he closed his mouth, awkward embarrassment radiating from the alpha. It made Dean grin in faint amusement, and truth be told, actually set him at ease as well.

  “So, how’d your work thing go?” Dean asked, trying to break the silence that had descended upon them. Sam shrugged, glancing at Dean before looking back ahead to make sure he didn’t walk into anyone. 

  “It was okay. Ruby just, uh, needed help dealing with the client. He was rather vocal in his protests of her ways of working, and was posing a threat to her job. I think he was planning to sue her or something, so I just had to go and throw some legal jargon at him to get him off her tail.”

  Dean snorted, staring up at Sam, maneuvering through the crowd more easily than his brother without touching anyone as he passed by. “Is that even  _ possible?  _ To sue a lawyer?”

  “Sure,” Sam replied easily, not looking the slightest bit fazed. “But the guy didn’t have to know that.”

  And then they were chuckling, in an easy, companionable moment, that though Dean would never admit it, made his heart soften. With his brother beside him, them laughing together… it wasn’t something Dean had expected to see happening in years, but now that they were, it filled Dean with elation. And the fact that they still had to talk didn’t seem as daunting either. Though it probably would, once they actually got to it.

  Their laughter died down just as they reached a building, the lights all turned off and looking for all intents and purposes closed for the night, but Sam suddenly paused by it. 

  “Hey, you wanna get inside?” Sam asked, and Dean was suddenly made aware of how very red the tip of his younger brother’s nose was getting. “Might be warmer in there.” He gestured with his head towards the building, keeping his eyes trained on Dean, who was looking at Sam as if he was crazy.

  “Uh, Sam, I think the place isn’t even open-“ but Sam was frowning, already bounding towards the building’s door, and pushed it right open. With a shrug, Sam held the door open wider, clearly waiting for Dean.

  Raising his eyebrows, Dean followed, albeit slowly. “What if we’re caught for trespassing - and what is this place anyway?” Dean looked around bewilderedly, hands very much shoved deep within his pockets, feeling a bit on edge with the unfamiliar surroundings. But Sam came to stand by his side easily, not looking the slightest bit disturbed as he took in the drab surroundings - or what they could make of it anyway, with the receding light through the glass door.

  “I dunno, some kind of hotel maybe?” His guess seemed valid, since the space they were standing in looked to be set up as a kind of lobby of sorts. 

  Letting out a small, “ _ huh”  _ Dean started towards the chairs against the walls, calling out to his brother over his shoulder. “Might as well get comfortable - but man, I swear, if we get arrested for trespassing, you better bail me ou-“

  Sam stood over Dean’s unconscious form, holding a wooden board that he’d taken from behind the front desk. Sam looked down at Dean, letting his arms fall to his side, board still in one hand. “Sorry, Dean, but change of plans.”

 

oOo

 

  Dean woke with a sharp gasp, confusion clouding his senses as he felt his movements being restrained from letting him completely bolt into an upright position. Blinking against the harsh glare of an overhead light shining right in his eyes, Dean looked away, trying to regain control of his senses and figure out his surroundings, which was when he realized what woke him up.

  The chill of metal against his thigh. Or more specifically, the chill of what felt like a wire or something, with how thin it was, against his  _ bare _ skin. 

  He was naked. And strapped down to a metal gurney, leather cuffs binding his wrists, ankles, and waist to the contraption.

  Already feeling the panic attack curling at the edge of his senses, Dean desperately looked around, trying to ground himself, when his eyes fell on a tall figure, the man’s scent practically screaming  _ alpha.  _ It did nothing to help the panic creeping in at a much more alarming rate, but when Dean realized who he was staring at, everything came to a standstill. Even the air around him seemed to freeze, and Dean had never felt more cold in his life.

  “S-Sam?”

  His brother whirled around, carrying a coil of wire in his hands, and grinning maniacally at him.

  “Hey, brother.” 

  Dean swallowed. There was no way this could be Sam - no, something must have gone wrong, Sam wouldn’t -

  “Glad you’re awake. Looks like we can finally have that talk, huh? And believe me,” Sam huffed, coming closer to Dean as he uncoiled the wire in his hands. “We have a lot. To talk about.”

  Dean eyed him warily as he came closer, the barbs on the metal glinting dangerously in the light. “Sam. What the  _ hell _ are you doing?”

  Sam grinned widely, teeth gleaming as he started to press the wire against Dean’s thigh, overlapping against the rest of the wire already there. “Thought we could have some fun while we talked.” 

  Dean tried to move away from the sting of the metal, eyes widening in alarm and sweat starting to bead at his forehead when he couldn’t escape the relentless press of it. “I dunno what you’ve been learning in law school Sam, but this sure as hell ain’t what I’d consider  _ fun _ ! _ ” _

  Dean gasped, body spasming in pain as Sam looped the wire around his leg - and pulled tightly, making the barbs impale his skin. Before he even knew what was happening, a yell broke free from Dean’s throat, and his vision went blurry for a while until he blinked, breathing heavily as he tried in vain to will the pain away. “What the absolute hell, Sam!” Dean yelled, trying to pretend like he didn’t hear his own voice crack.

  Sam huffed. “Funnily enough, hell is kinda involved.” He left the wire in Dean’s skin, walking back to the table shrouded in darkness, covering it with his form as he picked something else up. From the sound of something faintly metallic clinking against the other stuff Dean managed to get a glimpse of, Dean swallowed, knowing he wasn’t gonna like what was gonna come next. “See, you left me all those years ago, and never once thought to check in, and what, expected me to be fine?” Sam turned around, a weird contraption held in one hand becoming visible as he stepped into the light. “I mean, yeah, I guess you thought that ‘oh, Sammy’s a hunter, he’ll probably know how to fend for himself.’” Sam grabbed onto Dean’s hand. He struggled, fisting his hand to prevent Sam from doing whatever it was he was gonna do. But it was no use, because soon, Sam had unfurled Dean’s hand, a finger gripped tightly in his grasp. “But the thing is, there’s only so much I can do until the things I don’t know about come after me, because you didn’t bother to fill me in!” 

  Dean let out a yell, toes curling and fingers trying to wrench themselves away from Sam’s grip, the slide of his nail coming off his skin centimeter by centimeter burning through his hand.

  It must have only went on for seconds, but time was pretty much blacked out in Dean’s mind, and when he came to, Sam was holding up Dean’s nail with a weird look on his face as he spun the bloody thing around.

  “Wh-what do you mean, didn’t bother to fill you in?” Dean gasped, and through the growing fog in his mind, he had an idea what Sam was talking about, though at the same time he really didn’t.

  Sam’s eyes shot back to Dean. “I’m talking about how you made a demon deal, Dean. And how you basically led the demons to me. Your own brother, who I made it clear to that I was out of the game. And because of that, I lost Jess.”

  At this point, Dean lost track if the ringing noise in his ears were from the pain or from Sam’s words. “Lead the demons to you - I told them to stay away!” He yelled, trying to lean forward, but it was all for naught, his body still held tightly in place against the gurney by the bonds. 

  Sam hummed, smiling humorlessly, carelessly flicking the nail over his shoulder before moving back to Dean’s hand again. Ignoring Dean’s grunted, ‘ _ no,’  _ he spoke over the increasingly loud noises Dean was emitting. “Well, here’s the thing, Dean. Demons. Lie!” Sam exclaimed, straightening and throwing his hands out, leaving the nail halfway off of Dean’s finger. “That’s the first thing Dad taught us!” He lunged forward, and with one harsh movement, ripped away the nail with his bare hands.

  A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the room, blood gushing out from Dean’s finger. 

  His voice was dying out to pained whimpers and grunts before Sam spoke again, this time carrying something else in his hands. A plastic bag and a lighter.

  “I was actually wanting to try something new…” Sam muttered, coming closer. 

  “Why-” Dean swallowed, a tear sliding down the side of his face. “Why are you doing this?”

  And then Sam was right in front of him, glaring so hard with  _ angerragefuryviolencebetrayalpainrevengetorturetorturetorture _ pouring from the alpha like a flood of water, drowning Dean in it and a pool of memories that overwhelmed him so much, to the point that he blacked out, barely catching Sam’s next words.

  “Because I want you to pay, Dean. Because you still haven’t learned your lesson.” And through the black fog of nightmarish flashbacks of Alastair, Sam pulled the plastic bag over his head, tightening it so that all he could vaguely register was white - white and a sudden restriction of air, before his right foot started to tickle. But it was also getting hot, and weird, and he was running out air, and Dean needed to breathe, but his foot-

  Dean thrashed around in his bonds, gasping and struggling to breathe as all the while, he also tried to pull away his foot from the flame against his skin, the leather barely giving.

  It could have been the pain, but it was probably the plastic bag around his head that had him about to pass out, and Dean was welcoming unconsciousness with open arms, until the heat was suddenly gone, and in the next second, Dean could breathe again.

  Dean heaved, trying to fill his lungs with the fresh, wonderful, and actually pretty musty, air, not paying heed to his brother, but quickly regretting it when Sam pulled the bag over his head again.

  This time it was his other foot, one straight line from the heel of his foot to the tip of his toe, the flame dragged harshly over his foot but held so close that there was a straight gash across the length of his foot, Dean feeling every second of it as hours with his head still inside the bag. When the flame drew away, he was so sure that Sam was going to remove the bag now, any second now, but then his hands - the one with the two nailless fingers and blood still spurting from the other one - were starting to get hot, hotter - and then the flame was held right against the bloody finger. 

  “S-SAM!” The open wound cauterized, the smell of burnt flesh reaching Dean’s nostrils, making Dean’s stomach lurch nauseatingly. Unable to hold it back, Dean vomited, sick splattering on the insides of the plastic bag. By now, his finger simultaneously burning and numb, Dean was running out of air again, but the thought of whether or not Sam was gonna take off the bag was nowhere near his mind. 

  He did, eventually, frowning in disgust at the bag and the puke smeared on Dean’s already sweat-ridden face. 

  “Pathetic.” Sam muttered, though it didn’t register in Dean’s mind. He crumpled up the bag, careful to not touch the vomit, revolted look firmly fixed on his face until he disposed of the bag. He walked back to the table, and the sound of the lighter dropping to the table somewhat broke through Dean’s haze, enough for him to be filled with a sense of relief.

  Only to turn into dread just as quickly when Sam turned around, another object in hand. 

  “S-Sam, you-you’ve gotta stop, please man!” Dean pleaded, his voice breaking and cracking as he turned tear filled eyes to Sam. “Whatever happened, this isn’t the way - you don’t gotta do this - this isn’t you man!” 

  Sam’s lips curved dangerously, his eyes dark as he lifted the dagger. “Actually, Dean, you’ll find that this really is me.”

  The knife came down, slashing against Dean’s chest. Blood instantly rose to the surface, and Dean could feel it steadily flowing down his front, some of it slipping under the leather bond and pressing uncomfortably against his skin. But the sensation was lost in the feeling of Sam continuing his  _ carving -  _ and there was no other word for it, if Sam’s intense look of concentration as he sketched line after careful line into Dean’s chest, not pausing once except to move the dagger. Even the amount of blood most likely making the process slippery and hard for Sam - stinging for Dean over the agonized screams of his flesh tearing apart - didn’t hinder his process. 

  Minutes or hours, or even days, but it seemingly took forever before Sam stopped, quickly discarding the knife before coming back, his hands dripping with something black. It occurred to Dean that there was something seriously wrong with the sight, but his mind wasn’t stable enough for him to connect the dots as to  _ why, _ but it didn’t matter anyway, because his senses disappeared back into the mind numbing, searing, white hot, haze of pain, as Sam pressed against Dean’s chest, forcing the wounds to open wider as the black liquid dripped into Dean’s body.

  “Did you know,” Sam began, almost conversational, ignoring Dean’s vocal cords as he strained to wear it out. “That amongst the multitude of spells out there, there’s actually one that really interests me. Wanna know why?” He raised his eyes to Dean, and it took everything in the omega to glare at him, albeit weakly. Sam didn’t even flinch. “Because see, this one here,” he waved to Dean’s chest, hand smeared in black and red, a few drops landing on Dean’s face. “Is, kinda funny because, while it’s painful in itself, it’s nothing, compared to the amount of pain you’ll feel now, to whatever I do to you.”

  Dean tried to look down, and though his skin protested at the moment, he froze in confusion and terror at the black lines disappearing under his epidermis - the flesh knitting rapidly and just so wrong, creating knots in his skin. “I mean, yeah, I gotta wait for that to heal first, but you’ll find that the process is quicker. Well. Compared to what you’re gonna go through now.”

  With growing horror, his heart matching with a furious pace as Sam wiped away the blood, Dean was unable to tear his eyes away from his chest, the wounds now completely closed, but having healed all wrong, it now formed a sort of sigil, underlined with black. Sam gave him a tattoo. In the worst way possible. And of a fricking magical symbol at that, which definitely couldn’t mean anything good. 

  “So,” Sam turned around, brandishing a smoking poker in hand, inspecting the tip. “Let’s see if that symbol works, huh?”

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 46 

 

  Cas wasn’t one to fidget. As angel, he really didn’t have any need to, though his brothers - more accustomed to fitting in with the other humans - had tried to do their part in giving him constant reminders. They had given up after a while, leaving Cas alone with his odd behavior of sitting far too still and rigid to pass off as a human, though there were admittedly times when Cas reminded himself to move, readjust his posture, look somewhere else every now and then.

  Actually passing the movement off as something humane and not stilted was a completely different matter.

  But right now, a good two hours having passed since Dean had exited the cafe, and still no sign of him, Cas was clenching and unclenching his grip on his long empty coffee cup, his leg fighting to move up and down, up and down, up and down. Until finally, unable to take it anymore, Cas abruptly stood upright, the table moving away with a loud screech, garnering a few raised eyebrows at his direction. Ignoring them, Cas marched up to Eileen, standing beside her and Balthazar and getting her attention before he raised his hands to sign, urgency evoking him to speak as well.

  “Has Sam texted you?” Eileen frowned, glancing at the phone in front of her in the table. 

  “ _Yeah,”_ Eileen hesitated, her hands slowing with obvious reluctance even as she continued to get the message out. _“He said_ _Dean and him had a small fight so they split_ _ways._ _Sam said he’s gonna look around_ _and_ _get some air before coming back, but I_ _honestly_ _think he’s_ _probably just looking for any vacant hotel rooms we can book last minute.”_

  Castiel huffed, signing distractedly though his mind was still stuck on another part of Eileen’s words. “ _ You’re always welcome to stay with us, we’ve got more than enough room. _ ” He paused, looking down at Eileen’s phone before turning to Balthazar, still signing for Eileen’s benefit. “May I borrow your phone?”

  Balthazar raised his eyebrows, looking at him skeptically even as he took out his phone. “You want to use my cell? Why, Cassie, I never thought I’d see the day.” He held out the phone with a mischievous smirk. “Are you sure you’re my brother and not an imposter wearing his meat suit?”

  Barely refraining from rolling his eyes, Cas temporarily ignored the offered cell. “I don’t have Dean’s number, so unless you have it-“

  Eileen started waving furiously at them, waiting to get their attention before signing, a small frown on her face. “ _ I don’t have it, and I’ll need my laptop, but I can get his cell if you can give me a few details on it.”  _

  At this point, Cas was more than ready to oblige.

  Sure enough, within half an hour, Cas was sitting back at his booth, well away from Balthazar and Eileen, though their concerned gazes were still adamantly trained on him as he tried in vain to dial Dean’s cell. He growled when, for the seventh time, it went to voicemail again. This time, he opened up a new text message after some maneuvering around on Balthazar’s fancy phone, standing up and letting his restless legs lead him out of the cafe.

  ‘ _ Where are you?’  _ He pressed send, and a second later he had to loosen his grip when the phone started to emit threatening noises of cracking under the pressure. Gritting his teeth, Cas was getting ready to just ditch the phone and use his angelic senses, when the phone in his hand let out a trill, notifying him of a new message.

  ‘ _ Uh. Who’s this?’ _

  Wanting to smack his head at the obvious misstep, Cas hastened to send a reply. That probably would have explained why Dean hadn’t picked up when he called, if it weren’t for the fact that Dean was pretty religious on picking up the phone, even if he didn’t recognize the caller ID. They never knew when a person was calling because someone recommended them for a problem that wasn’t easily fixable by the regular priest or plumber, or if an old friend got a new phone. One hundred and one reasons why, or something along those lines, after all.

  ‘ _ Oh, hey Cas.’ _

_ ‘Taking a walk. Will be home soon.’ _

  Cas frowned at that. Eileen definitely wasn’t lying. Whatever happened, Dean must be really upset if he wasn’t going to give any explanation. And yet the thought of Dean somewhere out there, all by himself, was definitely not appealing to Cas. Not that Dean couldn’t take care of himself - quite the opposite, actually, and heaven forbid Dean hear anyone implying him to be a weak omega, even more so from Cas's own mouth - but Cas would have been far more comfortable being with Dean for himself. And unless and until Dean explicitly told Cas to back off, Cas wasn’t going to let go of Dean that easily.

_ ‘I can join you. Where are you?” _ Cas sent again, already turning in preparation to go after Dean the moment he was given directions. Instead, Dean sent back a reply shutting Cas down.

  ‘ _ It’s cool, man. I’ll come when I’m ready.’ _

_ ‘I just need some time to think.’ _

  And though Cas was starting to grow a hatred for that phrase, he was unfortunately, far too familiar with what Dean was feeling. But more than that, he also knew that, just like himself, Dean would rather have Cas by his side, even if he verbally said otherwise. So he decided to push for a location one more time, and if it didn’t work…

  Well. He’d only taken the cell because he didn’t wanna needlessly worry or freak anyone out. 

  But still, faced with those words, Cas didn’t have much of an option except to send a feeble, ‘ _ are you sure?’,  _ and the moment he received an affirmation from Dean, he was already tucking away the phone, reaching within his vessel and into his grace, letting it take control as it in turn reached out for the soul it had partially bonded with.

  Everything came to a standstill around Cas when his grace froze, barely having spread out around the block before it realized it couldn’t sense Dean. 

  A second passed, and then Cas was rushing back into the cafe, his wings extending to help him fly forward all the more faster. He barely offered a thought for the surrounding civilians, too intent on finding Gabriel  _ now,  _ and then finding out what the hell just happened to his mate. For Cas not to sense him, Dean must have been warded against angels, and there was no way Dean was going to do that of his own free will.

  So something must have happened. And Cas was drowning in dread to find out what.

 

oOo

 

  Several brands and charred flesh later, Dean lay wheezing on the gurney, the thick stench of his skin burnt to a crisp clogging his senses. His mind was begging to slip into the reprieve of the darkness looming at the corner of his eyes. And yet, somehow, he was for some reason still clinging stubbornly to consciousness.

  The stinging sensation of something inserting itself within his nipples had him screaming for mercy internally, but on the outside, the best he could offer was a pained gasp before he was biting down on his lip for all it was worth. It didn’t end there, but thankfully - and the day he was grateful that a moment of torture was quick to end even though he knew nothing good was going to come out of it - it was quick. Admittedly, his other nipple was also subjected to being impaled by something that could have been a sewing needle or even a sword, for all Dean knew, but it was better.

  Far better than one of those needle/sword/long and sharp metallic object going right through the slit of his cock.

  Letting out a sob, Dean tried to curl inwards, hoping against hope that this would finally be the time when his bonds would give even the slightest, letting him guard his privates, but as usual, it held tight. 

  The thing going through his cock might as well have been a sword though, because compared to the ones piercing his nipples, this kept going on and on and fucking  _ on, _ Dean was screaming for it to all just end, but didn’t dare to move after a while, terror paralyzing him at the thought of tearing off his cock should he make even the tiniest movement in the wrong direction. When it stopped moving inside him, Dean imagined that he could feel it all the way up to his bladder - if not through that as well - his cock sensitive and tingling, suddenly very much aware of the cold air against it specifically. 

  The feeling of something attaching to the base of all three metallic objects sent a shiver through Dean’s entire body, and he forced his eyes open - having closed them a long while back - to try and look down at what was happening. He couldn’t move too far, dried blood caking his skin and restricting his movements, but out of the corner of his eye, Dean could make out a large box on wheels, lights flashing and wires attached to it that led somewhere… to his body?

  Just as Dean was trying to figure out why the sight of that was making every cell in his being yell in a panicked frenzy, Sam turned around and flipped a switch, causing a big show of making sure he was nowhere near Dean or the machine, except to turn on the thing.

  Dean figured out why just as the first wave of electricity surged through his body, exclaimed by a roar of the machine powering on, though it soon faded to the background. Just like everything else in the room, as Dean’s sight turned mentally inwards, feeling every cell in his genitals fizzle and spark and explode.

 

oOo

 

  Somewhere in between of having his bits practically fried off his body, Dean finally won the battle. Somewhat. He wasn’t completely unconscious, but after a certain point of screaming his voice to the point that it became nonexistent, and feeling like he was by now just made of electricity, his mind completely retreated, leaving his body a mere shell. Because of that, he wasn’t sure what really happened afterwards, but then his mind was forced to restart when the need for air became imminent again.

  Thinking Sam had wrapped the bag around his head again, Dean opened his mouth, ready to take in a lungful of air - only to cough and immediately start struggling when water flooded his mouth instead, rushing down his pipes when Dean swallowed.

  Dean thrashed around, not even registering the fact that his arms and legs were free despite them going at automatic, trying to propel him upwards. Which way upwards was, Dean had no idea, but his body was working on that.

  Except, Dean couldn’t move. Because there was a strong, firm grip on his head, holding his entire body underwater.

  Dean flailed, his movements growing increasingly panicked as his body fought for air. And just as the blackness crept in again, the hand clutching his hair harshly yanked upwards, and Dean took in a great lungful of air, breathing and shuddering as sobs wracked through his pain riddled body. 

  “See how it feels to be without air, Dean?” Sam whispered snidely in Dean’s ear, his grip relentless on the omega. “Struggling for freedom, struggling to live? That’s how I felt, restrained to you and dad. And then I was out, and it was like this.” Sam fell silent, letting Dean hear his own desperation as he still tried to get his breathing under control, but unwilling to stop taking advantage of all the oxygen accessible. It only resulted in Dean still taking deep breaths even after he could have gotten his breathing under control, but his heart rate was too out of whack to calm down, aware that Dean was still, not yet out of the danger zone, and was trying to act like it could prepare itself for whatever was going to come next. Admirable, but stupid. “But then everything came crashing down, and it’s all because of you, Dean.” 

  He was back underwater, pushed down while he was still halfway through an exhale, and again, Dean was struggling… coughing… choking…

  “Because you still weren’t out of my life, no matter how far away I tried to go. No, my crime was being simply  _ related  _ to you, and because of that, I was never free from the life, I never could stop looking over my shoulder, could I?”

  Dunked again, and spots were starting to dance in Dean’s vision before he was pulled upright.

  “It’s like, anyone who even looked at you, was doomed to die, but no, they didn’t go easily. Everything that was ever precious to them, anyone that meant the world to them,” Sam’s voice cracked, his grip readjusting as Sam swallowed before continuing. “They go first, leaving us in despair, before we’re next on the list. But even then, it’s like we’re shown hell on earth, all because of the damn mistake that I was born after you - and it wasn’t even supposed to be my damn fault!”

  This time, when Dean was pushed under, Sam didn’t let go. Not even when Dean managed to latch onto Sam’s arm, weakly digging his nails into the skin without any other form of defense, but Sam still didn’t bring him back up. And it hit Dean like a freight train as the spots returned with a renewed vigor, this time dancing and shaking as they grew larger and larger, soon to completely overtake his vision… 

  ‘ _ I’m going to die.’  _ Dean realized, his thoughts getting slower and harder to form.

  ‘ _ I’m… I’m gonna die… and it’s-it’s gonna be… by… my own… br-brother’s hands.’ _

_ ‘…S-So much… for… chances of re-reconciliation… Talk about… one… hell of a… talk.’ _

  Dean felt his senses completely fade away, the only thing to appear to Dean’s unseeing eyes were Cas's bright blue ones, having last looked at him earnestly with so much affection, before that too was gone, just as the hand loosened and let go of Dean. But it was too late.

  Dean wasn’t breathing any more, and his body floated motionless within the water, far too gone to register his surroundings any longer.

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 47

 

  Gabriel hadn’t had good news whatsoever. 

  Yes, Dean was warded, again, and yes, that definitely meant bad news. 

  No, Gabriel didn’t know where Dean was, archangel he may be, but angel he still was, and the wardings obscuring Dean’s location from them was as strong as before.

  Cas didn’t want to even think of what that could only mean for Dean.

  Shop now closed after hasty instructions for Krissy to just leave and that the brothers will take of it, the moment the place was free from civilians, Gabriel snapped his fingers, bringing order to his shop with the usage of his grace. The same couldn’t really be said for Cas though, because not even five minutes later, had Cas been a more expressive man, he would have torn his hair out in frustration at their helplessness.

  His hands itched to sign to Eileen, asking if she’d gotten any further luck with the security cameras, but knowing that would only further distract her - especially if she raised her hands to reply, which she was prone to do even when speaking, but she needed them to work - Cas managed to somehow restrain himself. And if that involved sitting on his hands beside Eileen, well. It wasn’t like she was paying him much attention anyway. 

  “So wait,” Gabriel propped his head up on a hand, resting his arm of the back of a chair facing the side of their booth. “Sam’s safe though, right?” 

  Cas nodded. “I just called him. He said he left Dean behind, but he’s looking for him now.” 

  Balthazar raised his eyebrows. He may have looked casual and carefree, what with his usual position of sitting with his arms over the back of the booth and his legs crossed, but Cas knew that his brother was worried about him. Worried because of how much Cas was tearing himself up at losing his almost mate, and just sitting here,  _ doing nothing.  _ He’d have appreciated it, but at that moment, his mind was rather occupied elsewhere. 

  “You told Sam that his brother is missing?”

  Cas frowned, too impatient to work through whatever the beta was trying to get at. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I? At least there’s someone out there actually looking for him!” So he tried, he really did, but it seemed his emotions was getting the better of him, and Cas really couldn’t help it when his words came out far more harsher than intended. Thankfully, Balthazar didn’t seem to be fazed by it, instead enraptured with their current conversation. 

  “When he could be against a demon?” Cas felt himself grow cold, even as Balthazar kept talking. “Are you sure that-“

  “Found him!” Eileen exclaimed, pumping her hand up in victory. Cas leaned forward to look at her screen when she turned her laptop around to show him, and he barely managed to stop back a growl when Cas realized what he was looking at.

  “That is two blocks from here.” He just remembered to sign for Eileen’s benefit, and he could already feel the twinges of guilt creeping up on him for forgetting something like that so easily, but Eileen was already signing out her response, moving Cas’s mind along. 

  “And that’s where he was last spotted. Shall we go?” She was already starting to stand up, slamming her laptop closed as she collected her coat, but stopped when her eyes landed on all three brother’s expressions, varying in their own way, but ultimately reflecting the same thought.

  “What?”

  “Eileen-“ Gabriel started, only for Cas to cut in, the sound of a clock ticking resonating within the background of his mind. 

  “You can’t go.” He said bluntly, and watched as Eileen’s eyebrows climbed up to her hairline. Beside him, Cas heard Balthazar give out a sigh.

  “What he’s trying to say, dear, is that it probably wouldn’t be the best for you to accompany him. Believe us when we say Castiel here is quite adept on his own.” 

  If possible, Eileen looked even more incredulous. “You’d propose he go on his own and not accompany him yourself?” She exclaimed, looking almost scandalized.

  Balthazar stared at Eileen flatly, blinking at her. “Like I said, Castiel is quite adept on his own.” 

  This time, Cas did roll his eyes as he started to stand, unable to dawdle any longer. “Look, it’s safer if I go by myself, we don’t know what exactly is out there, but it can’t be anything good if it got a jump on Dean himself. Which is why I am  _ kindly _ asking you to stay here, so we wouldn’t have to needlessly worry over you too.” Cas beseeched, but now Eileen was staring back at him stubbornly, and even rather offended as well. 

  “I’m coming with you.” She stated firmly. “And that’s final. Besides, I am a hunter, have been for practically my entire life. I’m just as good as anyone else.” She had this look in her eye, as if daring Cas to say otherwise so that she could jump on him for being misogynistic or sexist. Definitely not one of those, but knowing that his concern was only going to delay them all the more, Cas conceded with a sigh.

  “Alright. But you stick with me, and you follow my lead, got it?”

  A begrudging grin broke out on Eileen’s face, but she was wise enough to not let the happiness overwhelm her too much, all too aware of their current situation hanging over their heads right now. 

  “Got it.”

 

oOo

 

  “ _ Stay behind me.”  _ Cas signed over his shoulder, trusting Eileen to comply as they crept inside the building. It was the only building that looked rather abandoned even after closing time on the street, right outside of the two security cameras’ perimeters on either side of the street, and even if that wasn’t enough to convince Cas, then the faint waft of Dean’s pheromones somehow still lingering in the air and caught by his angelic senses was. 

  Plus, there was also the smell of sulfur heavier in the air, and that could only mean one thing. He sincerely hoped Eileen was as good of a hunter as she said she was - in other cases, he wouldn’t have really doubted her, but against a demon while still so under equipped, he was straining to reach out with his grace to protect her. 

  But that’s when the third sign that they were absolutely at the right place hit Cas.

  He couldn’t use his grace.

  The place was warded, and not just to hide Dean’s location, but it was also dampening his ability to reach out and extend his grace. The memory of encountering the same when they walked in on Lilith erupted within his mind, and with his stomach sinking, Cas felt his vessel’s senses working on overtime to try and make up for what his grace would do but wasn’t going to be able to. Crouching, Cas positioned himself in a stance ready to fight, taking in his surroundings instantaneously and then frowning when he realized it was absolutely empty. He would have expected there to be more demons, but apart from them, the place was so silent - too silent, in fact.

_ Just like Lilith… _

  Glancing at the out of order sign obstructing the elevator, the two moved towards the stairs, Cas taking the lead with Eileen close behind, a gun cocked in her hand. When Eileen had asked him if he was going in without any weapons of his own, Cas simply shrugged, unwilling to draw out his sword just yet. She looked at him as if he was crazy, but miraculously stayed silent. 

  Right now, the urge to bring out his sword was growing with each step, but he still held it at bay, letting his agitation flow over him and just remembering to hold it back and make sure his alpha vessel remained scentless instead. 

  They reached a landing of one of the floors, Cas pausing to sniff the air. Dean’s scent was nowhere near present at the next staircase, but instead, disappeared behind the door leading them out to the floor. With a quick look at Eileen, Cas pushed the heavy door open, hoping it wasn’t the kind that was prone to creaking.

  It wasn’t, and when they cautiously crept out, they found themselves in a hallway of doors, almost like a hotel building of sorts. Moving forward, Cas only came to a stop right at the door where he could smell Dean’s scent, thicker than before, and leading right beyond it.

  Now, Cas drew out his sword, ignoring Eileen’s silent shock as he signed to her.

  “ _ Follow my lead, and keep your senses alert.”  _ After a brief moment of deliberation, eyes on her gun, he looked back at her as he continued signing. “ _ Do you know any exorcising spells?” _

  Eileen frowned in confusion, freeing one of her hands from the gun to sign back. “ _ Yes, why?”  _ But halfway through the last sign, she cut herself off, eyes widening in realization. “ _ You don’t think-“  _

  Cas nodded. “ _ Sulfur. You can smell it. Remember, be alert, and whatever you do, do  _ not.  _ Let them deceive you.”  _ Cas signed firmly. He wasn’t sure if Eileen had ever encountered any demons before, and he’d have much rather taken the time to make sure she knew everything she possibly would need to know about them, but time was something they most certainly did not have.

  When Eileen nodded back at him, Cas turned back to the door, and after a deep breath that he didn’t even need but did help to somewhat settle his nerves, he pushed it open.

  And froze, taken aback when he took in the scene in front of him. 

  Sam was sitting by a large indoor pool of sorts, holding his arm underwater. The moment Cas had opened the door though, Sam’s head whipped around, shock overtaking his features before being replaced with something more pleading.

  “Castiel!” His eyes fell on Eileen as she came in as well, still standing behind Cas and looking bewildered. “Eileen.” He started to get up, and that’s when Cas got a look of something floating in the water.

  No. Not something. Someone.

  “Eileen! Start the exorcism!” Cas yelled, already having seen enough from a single glance at Sam’s face. Or rather, the twisted darkness under it that was still noticed with Cas’s angelic sight. And though she threw a shocked look between Sam and Cas, Eileen immediately started chanting.

  Sam’s eyes flashed black, and with a pained yell, he threw himself forward. 

  Cas readied himself to tackle Sam, but then Eileen was pushing past him, not breaking her chanting even when she pointedly glanced at Cas, then to the body floating in the water. Torn with a moment’s indecisiveness, but when he saw Eileen standing strong against a possessed Sam’s onslaught, Cas ran to Dean.

  “Dean-Dean!” He may have not had his grace, but his strength was one of the abilities Cas still had at his disposal, so he barely had to exert any force to lug Dean out of the pool. 

  Cas had to force himself to stay by Dean’s side when he saw his body, especially the rune above his chest. 

  Laying him prone on his back, he immediately started compressions the moment Dean failed to respond, pressing hard and almost breaking one Dean’s ribs as he pushed hard. He alternated between breaths and compressions, not once faltering despite the taxing action, but it was worth it when Dean coughed, the sound gurgled as water rose. Immediately turning Dean into recovery position, Cas breathed a sigh of relief as Dean vomited, the water that had entered his lungs now making his way out of his body. He’d have much rather stayed by Dean’s side, making sure he was completely okay and responsive, but it was right at that moment that Cas suddenly heard Eileen’s chanting, nearing the end, cut off with a pained grunt as Sam slammed her to the ground, knocking the breath out of her. Cas started to get to his feet, about to rush in and pull Sam off her, when Eileen, still looking dazed but most likely working on some deeply ingrained habit that kept her moving, clamped her legs around Sam’s hips, and rolled them around, pushing Sam against the floor. 

  Sam yelled, reaching out for Eileen, but she grabbed on to his hands, pinning it to the floor, and with a yell of her own, she took out a wooden stake from within her jacket, slamming the pointed tip of it into the palm of Sam’s hands. 

  Sam howled, twisting and writhing under her, but with a shake of her head, Eileen yelled out the last of the exorcism from where she was cut off. 

  “ _ Audi nos! _ “

  Sam’s mouth opened inhumanely wide as the demonic smoke was expelled from his body with a roar, Eileen leaning backwards to avoid contact with it but otherwise still remaining seated on Sam.

  And then it was gone.

  Eileen slumped forward, breathing heavily as Sam gasped, eyes widen open in shock as he stared at where the smoke last disappeared from, his hands still pinned to the ground thanks to stake. When Eileen tilted her head up, she caught sight of it and cringed. “Sorry, Sam.” She muttered. She immediately moved off of Sam before crawling to his hands, muttering quietly for him to brace himself before she yanked it out in one pull, and promptly proceeded to apply pressure to the wound with her now discarded jacket.

  By then, Cas moved back to Dean, his eyes watering while his inner alpha yelled for vengeance at the sight of all the blood and burnt flesh - the smell of it all so thick and heavy it would have made Cas gag had he been a mere man. As it was, he only swallowed, removing his own trench coat before gently maneuvering it with careful hands around Dean for at least some semblance of modesty and to cover the worst of the wounds around his torso from the air. 

  “Come on, Dean. Let’s get you home.” Cas murmured, his voice thick as he started to lift Dean in a bridal hold. His eyes prickled with unshed tears when Dean whimpered softly, completely lax in his arms but still unconscious. 

  Someone laughed, the sound making Cas’s head snap up to the source of it at the doorway. It came from an average sized blonde, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with a leather jacket on top. None of that was of import to Cas though, as much as the mangled demonic face visible from under the girl’s skin.

  “Home? Oh, I’m sorry, I guess you guys didn’t get the memo?” The girl asked with faux concern, her face bright and open before tilting her chin down, her eyes narrowing. “See, you’ve got something of mine there.” Her eyes landed on Dean, and this time, Cas didn’t hold back his growl. She ignored it though. “So I don’t think you can leave just like that.” 

  “What the-Ruby?” Sam finally spoke up, his face pale and sweaty, leaning heavily on Eileen as he stared at the blonde with confusion.

  The girl, or Ruby, apparently, immediately turned to Sam, a slow smile creeping up on her face. “Hello, Sam.” She tsked, every expression dripping with insincerity. “Ooh, I didn’t tell you?” And she was grinning again. The rapid change in her behavior was striking at a memory in Cas’s mind, and he struggled to remember what was so off about the moment as Ruby kept speaking. “See, Ruby’s dead.” Her eyes suddenly seemed to roll up and into her head - but Cas knew better. The white haze enveloping this girl’s eye was the demon’s doing. And not just a regular demon either.

  “You might actually know me as Lilith.”

  She waved her hand, and the next thing they knew, everyone was flying, Cas to one side of the room - Dean torn from Cas’s arms and falling listless to the floor - Sam and Eileen to the other, but all of them pinned to the wall. Sam and Eileen grunted, but Cas’s concern was dedicated solely to Dean, who coughed, his head lifting weakly from the ground at the moment. Blood spurted from his lips, only adding to the mess on his face. 

  Lilith sighed, and Cas’s eyes snapped back to her. His alpha vessel stank of murder and rage, and if anything, he only encouraged it to further enhance. It did catch Lilith’s attention, from where she was walking to Dean, but though she kept her eye on Cas, it didn’t stop her from crouching down by Dean. 

  “Oh, Castiel. Angel of the Lord. In an alpha’s vessel - you’re just the epitome of strength, aren’t you?” She huffed a laugh, stroking and downright petting Dean’s hair - the only part of him untainted, though it was matted against his skull with sweat. “But that did nothing to help you up here,” she tapped the side of her head with a free hand, her tone mocking. “Which you probably should have needed when you were killing the real Ruby back in Detroit.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Cas grunted, aware of Sam and Eileen’s gaze bouncing back and forth from Lilith to Cas, confusion and fury radiating from them most likely at their situation. 

  Lilith stood, cocking her hip to the side as she tilted her head up at Cas, her gaze sharp. 

  “I’m talking about how, for an angel, you were remarkably easy to fool.” She started to walk towards Cas, her steps slow and measured. “I’m talking, about how you guys thought you killed me in Detroit, but killed another low life demon instead.” She was now right in front of Cas, but as if that wasn’t enough, she leaned her head forward as well, until he could feel the air from her mouth when she spoke against his face. “I’m talking, about how you thought you could just, what? Save Dean after exorcising a demon - whom _I_ had personally ordered to be trained under Alastair’s teachings for this specific reason, after Dean failed to train her like he was supposed to?” Cas tried to turn his head away, a look of disgust morphing his features, though it did nothing to help him escape from Lilith’s words. “I’m _talking,_ ” Lilith’s voice abruptly turned darker, as she came so close to Cas, her lips were practically brushing across Cas’s with every word she uttered. “About how I don’t just have Dean, but seeing as I brought Sammy here, I’ve got everyone I could possibly want.” 

  “For what?” Cas gritted out. “What could you possibly want with the Winchesters?”

  Lilith leaned back, a surprised laugh escaping her mouth as she stared at Cas, as if she couldn’t believe him. “You can’t be joking.” Her eyebrows rocketed to her hairline when Cas met her back with an even look. 

  “Oh my, you’re actually serious.” For the first time, she turned to Sam, Cas flinching when her attention was no longer on him. Better himself than Sam or Eileen, at any rate. But she was only looking at Sam as if to say, ‘ _ can you believe this guy?’ _

  She looked back at Cas, shaking her head. “You must have been living under a rock, Castiel, since the moment of your existence, if you don’t know what I would want with Sam and Dean.”

  And with her piercing look paired with those words, it was hard for Cas to continue pretending as if he wasn’t aware of what was going on - what was supposed to happen from the beginning of time itself.

  “Sam will never say yes to Lucifer, and you’ll never be able to take Dean away from me either.”

  Lilith tilted her head. “Oh, Castiel,” her voice was pitying. “How wrong you are. For starters, Dean is already mine.”

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 48

 

  Lilith had disappeared from the room, lugging Dean up in a fireman’s hold as if he weighed nothing, the trench coat falling to the ground and baring Dean again.  Cas had hoped that the moment Lilith disappeared from their sight that her hold would weaken enough for him to escape, but it was dashed when two other demons came in instead, a man and a woman. 

  The man’s appearance elicited a reaction from Sam. 

  “ _ Brady?” _

  The man looked unimpressed - if anything, he actually managed to look disgusted, though he forced himself to reply. “Sam.” He acknowledged.

  The woman raised her eyebrows, tucking her thumbs into the waistband of her jeans. “Well, isn’t this a merry reunion.”

  Eileen raised her eyebrows. “And who are you?” 

  The girl smiled maliciously, briefly looking offended before it was washed over. “You, sweetheart, can call me Casey.” 

  Cas thudded his head back against the wall. 

 

oOo

 

  When Dean came to, there was only one thought that struck him first.

_ Heat. _

  Dean was in goddamn heat. Which wasn’t right, because he could vaguely remember having just gone through it maybe a few days ago, desperately holding on to Cas as he rode out the high of it. 

  That didn’t change the fact that he was in heat right fricking now though. So Dean tried to arch his body, a keen escaping his throat when he couldn’t smell the alpha he’d grown accustomed to having by his side nearby. But the moment his back curved, Dean screamed.

  With every single flare of pain surging like lightning through his body from head to toe, with it it brought every single memory of the last few hours - and was it really only a few hours that had passed because there was no way what Sam - his own  _ brother  _ \- had been inflicting everything he had on Dean’s body for anything less than  _ weeks _ \- with painful clarity. Literally.

  Which was when Dean realized that the one alpha’s scent he could smell coming from near him was neither Sam’s or Cas’s.

  With every muscle protesting at his movement, Dean struggled to pry his eyes open, and then twist his head to the side, groaning. 

  But then stilled in confusion when he came face to face with an unfamiliar blonde.

  “What the hell?”

  The blonde grinned. “Ironically? Hell sounds about right.” Her eyes went white, and Dean’s heart just about stopped.

  “L-Lil-But we killed you!” Dean gasped, wincing when his voice only managed to come out as a hoarse whisper.

  “Think again,  _ darling.” _ Lilith ran a finger down the side of Dean’s face, not stopping even as she passed his neck, but when she came to his chest, she started to a dig her nail into one of the many lacerations in his skin. “Probably should have checked who was actually in the meat suit when you went all murdering rage.  Pity, because I actually liked that body.”

  Dean tried to move away from Lilith’s probing finger, vaguely noting that he was now on a soft mattress on the ground instead. Not that it made a difference, even if he was untied. He was still far too weak to move even an inch, much less make an escape.

  “Alastair’s dead.” Dean bit out, trying to say the first thing that came through the heat induced haze clouding his mind in an attempt to get Lilith to back off. In hindsight though, what he chose to say probably wasn’t the smartest thing to come out of his mouth, especially when Lilith’s expression only darkened further.

  “Yes. Yes, he is. And who’s fault is that?”

  The cocky grin was more out of habit at that. “You know, that actually wasn’t on me. Though I wanted to, but I didn’t, because I kept my end of the bargain. Unlike you guys.”

  Lilith cocked her head, landing her bloody finger on Dean again, trailing it further beyond his chest this time though. “Oh?”

  “Yeah. What - didn’t think I’d find out all about how you went back on the part about Sam? I  _ told _ you-“ Dean winced, his face curling up in pain as he fell back against the mattress, Lilith’s finger slipping out from a hole in his thigh. “I told you, to keep Sam safe - keep him out of this life. And all this time, you were training him like you were training me, weren’t you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lilith grinned, not even making an attempt to make the lie believable. “I kept him safe, didn’t I?”

  “ _ You turned him into a torturer like Alastair _ \-  _ agh _ !” Dean sobbed, curling into his side, arms pitifully wrapped around his screaming torso. And as if that wasn’t enough, Dean realized with a fresh wave of horror that it wasn’t just blood staining his legs anymore.

  And judging the way Lilith was blatantly sniffing the air, she was coming to the same realization as well.

  “Perfect.” She hissed, starting to climb onto the mattress above Dean. “You’re just in time.”

  “In time for what? What the hell did you do to me, you bitch?” Dean gasped, wheezing in pain when Lilith twisted his body none too kindly, maneuvering him until she was in between his legs.

  “Me? I did nothing. But Sammy back there was being a good boy, following my orders and triggering your heat. After all, what better way to stake hell’s claim on an omega than when they’re in heat?” She flattened herself, pressing her pelvis against Dean’s and mimicked a thrusting gesture, a throaty groan erupting from her. 

  Dean whimpered when the scent of aroused alpha permeated the air.

  “Just perfect.” Lilith bent down, whispering in Dean’s ear. One of her hands crept down to her jeans, the other one balancing herself above Dean placed beside Dean’s head. The sound of a button popping followed by a zipper being opened resonated loudly in Dean’s ears, echoed by his rapidly increasing heartbeat.

  Her jeans were barely off her before she started thrusting again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I foresee one.. and a half more chapters left, so.. Chapter 14 and an epilogue?  
> Dudes! Two more weeks and this story will finally be completed! Thank you for sticking with me for this long, you guys! We've only got a little further to go! :D


	14. Chapter 14

  “Brady - what the hell are you doing here, man?” Sam exclaimed, though he seemed as if he already knew the answer. Sure enough, when Brady’s eyes flashed black, Sam could only clench his jaw, a short huff of air escaping him as he shook his head slightly, not really that surprised.

  “Me? I’m just doing my job here, just like I’m supposed to.” Brady tsked, stepping up to Sam. “Wish I could say the same for you, Sam.”

  At the sight of his eyes, Eileen immediately started chanting the exorcism again, but one look to her from Brady had her mouth shut.

  Eileen and Sam’s eyes widened at that, but helpless to do anything, Sam turned back to Brady, eyes narrowing in a mixture of incomprehension and irritation. “What are you talking about?”

  Brady opened his mouth as if to reply, when Casey stepped forward, placing a hand almost warningly on Brady’s shoulder as she replied for him. “We’ve all got our duties, Sam.” She tilted her head at Sam. “You’re just a bit behind on yours. Not that it matters. When Lilith is through with you lot, everything will be just as it should be.” Her face was studiously blank, as if she was only reciting something she had memorized, and for someone Cas knew to be essentially preaching the apocalypse, she didn’t exactly sound too enthusiastic about it.

  Deciding to test something, Cas spoke up. “And by that, you mean Sam will be possessed by the devil, unleashing Lucifer’s wrath upon the earth and obliterating anything and everything in his path, while Dean is stuck in hell as the demons’ personal chew toy?” He asked shrewdly.

  Casey turned to him, her hand long having slipped off of Brady’s shoulder. “Lucifer isn’t going to destroy the world. He’s going to bring us a new era.” She said forcefully.  _ Too  _ forcefully.

  “And yet you don’t believe that.”

  Brady, looking back and forth between Cas and Casey this entire time, swiftly stepped forward, a harsh look on his face. “Shut your mouth, angel. You know nothing of the bounties Lucifer will reap. And for having us ever loyal demons at his side, we will be rewarded with unimaginable goods,” Brady scoffed, and despite being on literally lower ground than Cas, he still managed to look down at the angel. Not that it fazed Cas one bit. “Which is way more than what I can say for you when he’s freed.”

  Cas ignored him. “Tell me, Casey. Do you really think that when Lucifer walks free, he’ll take the time to thank you for your doings? That, what? He’ll ignore the fact that he’s finally free after being caged for this long due to the destruction he even had the potential to commit - just to ensure you are given a treat for behaving akin to an obedient dog?” And this time it was Cas who let out a dark chuckle. “Honestly, if that’s what you think, then I pity you. Even if he managed to ignore you, it would be a wonder if Lucifer didn’t smite you himself when you manage to annoy him all because of one careless sentence.”

  By now, Casey’s face was completely unreadable. On the other hand, the level of anger only increased on Brady’s face. Cas barely had time to calculate who would be the first to give when Brady all but exploded. 

  “Don’t you talk about our savior like that! Lucifer will bring us the earth - Lucifer will bring us eternity! Don’t act as if you know that Lucifer’s gonna overlook us or fail to bring us the spoils of the earth all for us - you know nothing!”

  “Oh,  _ I _ know nothing?” Cas quirked an eyebrow. “I, who as much I detest to say it but must mention, the brother of Lucifer, an Angel similar to himself - who though he may not be considered one anymore, his past is recorded in the minds of many of my brethren, any of whom which will not fail to tell you what kind of actions Lucifer has done, is prone to do, or will do. So do  _ you  _ really think you know Lucifer so well - better than myself - to say that he won’t turn on your backs once he is freed from his cage? When he has done nothing but turned on the ones whom had cared for him in the past?”

  “Lucifer will never turn on us!” And now Brady was spitting on his face, and though Cas wished he could have moved, a small flame of triumph was starting to burn into existence as he kept his eyes on Casey, never once straying his gaze from her now. “Lucifer may have once been amongst you, but he is ours now! Lucifer will make us rise! He will bring us to victory!”

  “For fuck’s sake, Brady…” Casey muttered, looking more and more annoyed with the other demon’s lack of control, but he went on as if he didn’t hear her. 

  “Lucifer will make us great again!”

  “Make  _ you  _ great? He’s only concerned with his self-being, Lucifer won’t care if you’re alive or not in the long run. To him, you’re expendable, especially seeing as he can always make more, stronger, better demons than the like of you-“

  “Shut up!” Had it not been for the punch aided with demonic strength to his vessel’s face, which without the power of his grace thrumming as powerful as it would in the background, Cas would have found the entire situation something to laugh over. As it was, he merely let out a grunt, spitting out the blood that had immediately pooled within his mouth at that. “Lucifer is more considerate than any of you dickwads with sticks so far up your asses-“

  “Brady.” Casey’s voice was warning, her eyes darkening as she kept her eyes on Cas, briefly lowering her gaze to regard the blood staining his lips with a seemingly cool, indifferent look on her face before she was staring at him in the eyes again.

  Brady continued to ignore her. “-That you’d be spitting out twigs could hope to be! Lucifer isn’t gonna spare my life?” Brady laughed, punching Cas again, this time right in the gut.

  “Let’s see if you can even get out of here in one piece, feather brains!” He reared back for another punch, his eyes flashing black, when Cas felt the slight give.

  And right before Brady’s fist could meet Cas’s skin, he was moving.

  Ducking under Brady’s fist, Cas swung his own arm at Brady, getting him right at his midsection, causing the demon to bend over at the unexpected pain. With him still partially down, Cas straightened, balancing his hands lightly on the demon’s shoulders before pulling up his knee, connecting with Brady’s head, creating a painful sound upon impact.

  Brady staggered back, looking dazed as blood began to pour from his nose. Shocking and more than slightly alarmed, he turned to Casey, the blood making his voice sound nasally. “What are you waiting for? Get him!” He waved wildly at Cas, looking only more enraged when Casey hesitated, her eyes flickering to Cas. For the angel, it was enough, and he strode forward, and clocked the demon right in the head. 

  He was out like a light. 

  Sam and Eileen slid down to the floor with a thud, but they both immediately jumped to their feet. The former paused, glancing down at Brady’s unconscious form before charging forward, capturing Casey and slamming her against the wall, making her grunt.

  “Sam - wait!” Cas stepped forward, reaching out, but when Sam still didn’t ease his pressure on the demon - if anything, it only seemed to increase, as Casey gasped aloud, her face reddening - Cas took the extra step to land his hand on Sam’s arm, physically pulling at the other alpha. He didn’t budge an inch, but at least Casey’s breathing didn’t sound alarming anymore - not that it would have made much of a difference to a demon, but still. 

  “She helped us.” Cas turned to Casey, his eyes narrowing, though his hand still remained on Sam. “Why?” He asked, though he already had an inkling for the reason.

  Casey glanced back and forth between Sam and Cas, before landing on Cas, her hands gripping uselessly at Sam’s hands. “Because you’re right. I may be all up for Lucifer rising, but we know how it’s gonna be. Hell on earth, literally. I’ve already got enough of it down there, and up here, I’m liking it as it is, thanks.” She stated dryly. “With Lilith scrambling for power, things are still wonky, and yeah, Lilith has a tight rein on us, but that would be nothing compared to how it would be if Lucifer was out. We’d always have to look over our shoulder - but make sure no one notices that we did that - double check every word before it comes out of our mouth, bow down and pray you aren’t gonna be smited, and just be dominated for the rest of eternity.” Casey paused, taking a deep breath, “I may have not minded that once upon a time.” She said softly. “But I’ve gotten my taste of freedom. And I sure as hell don’t wanna let it go.” She ended evenly.

  Sam grit his teeth, his jaw clenching as he regarded her, but Cas didn’t take his eyes off of her, too busy searching. When he found what he wanted, he nodded, pulling again on Sam’s arm harder one more time before letting go. 

  “She’s telling the truth.”

  Sam whipped his head around to stare at Cas bewilderedly. “She’s-how do you know? And how can you trust her? She’s a  _ demon _ !” Sam exclaimed, still holding on to Casey by the neck. 

  Cas refrained from rolling his eyes. “Yes, she is a demon. But she is the demon who had just saved our lives. Now you can stay here and try to think of something to do, or we can quit delaying and go find Dean!”

  Sam glared, and for a moment, Cas wondered if he had, while correctly assessing Casey, miscalculated Sam instead. But then Sam let go, looking murderous though he took a step back.

  “Let’s go find my brother.” Sam grit out.

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 49

 

  She was knotted within him, but that didn’t stop Lilith from still attempting to thrust into Dean, as if trying to get closer to him, but only succeeding in tearing the rim of his skin. 

  By now, Dean had retreated well within the confines of his mind, the familiar monotone of the sickening feeling going on below his waist being pushed out of the safety net of his subconsciousness. 

  That still didn’t stop him from flinching when Lilith lit her finger on fire, holding it to Dean’s nipple as if she was lighting a candle. A tear escaped the omega’s glassy eyes, his blank stare directed at the ceiling as he resolutely avoided looking anywhere else. Even when Lilith pushed herself to be positioned right above him, Dean didn’t register a thing.

  It was as if whatever was happening to his body, that was it. It was only happening to Dean’s body, but it wasn’t Dean in there. Not anymore. 

  “You escaped Alastair, and you broke your deal, but I gotta confess, Dean.” Lilith gasped, moaning right in Dean’s ear. “I can’t find myself to be particularly bummed by it. Not when I can finally have a taste of this sweet ass of yours.” She dragged her still flaming finger down Dean’s torso, cauterizing many of his still open cuts on the way. Burnt flesh permeated the air, and yet. Dean was still as good as comatose to the outside world. “‘Course, you could still do with some modifications if you ask me. I mean, it’s not like the other demons are gonna mind. After all, you’d look so much more prettier if…” Whatever she said next was lost to the explosion within Dean’s mind, a haze of white completely enveloping him as she touched his cock.

  As he felt his entire life pinpoint to the pain at his core, the large wooden doors burst open.

 

oOo

 

  “He’s not here.” 

  Sam whipped around so fast to look at Cas, the angel was momentarily surprised that the alpha didn’t manage to sprain his neck. 

  “What?” 

  “Dean.” Cas tried explained shortly. “He isn’t. Here.” Cas forced himself to patiently respond, even as he felt the worry grow so strong inside him that he was seconds away from stinking of it.

  “What? Then where is he?” 

  Cas bit back a growl of irritation, but not without difficulty. “I. Don’t. Know. We’ll have to leave this building first and foremost, it’s still warded heavily and isn’t letting me use my grace. The moment I step foot out of here though,” and to prove his point, Cas already started walking, Sam and Eileen tagging along blindly behind like a couple of ducklings. “I’ll be able to find out where he is.”

  “Grace? Wait, wait, wait,  _ wait!”  _ Sam stepped forward, physically latching on to Cas’s arm in an attempt to stop him. And as much as he wanted to keep going, Cas dug his heels into the ground in an attempt to root himself to the ground, focusing on that instead of decking Dean’s brother akin to what happened to Brady not too long ago.

  “Whatever it is you must say, are you sure you can’t do it as we keep walking?” Cas bit out wryly. Sam hesitated, before reluctantly letting go of Cas’s arm. He immediately set forth to walk down the hallway, pulling the door leading to the staircase with unneeded vigor, making the thick, heavy door slam against the wall. Sam, who was practically gluing himself to Cas’s side and trying to talk at the same time as keeping up with the shorter alpha’s fast pace, stared at the door in shock.

  “Back in that room - you and-and those  _ demons _ ! You were talking about angels and-and  _ Lucifer _ ?” Sam exclaimed bewilderedly, keeping a hand on the rail to ensure he didn’t fall as he kept his eyes on the other man. “What the hell was that all about, man?”

  Cas sighed, trying not to lose his patience. “It was exactly as you heard. Lilith - the demon your brother is involved with - is trying to free Lucifer from his cage and begin the apocalypse.” Cas explained shortly, coming to the ground floor, and not bothering to slow his speed, he almost slammed into the door leading to the lobby had he not opened it in the nick of time, Sam barely managing to avoid getting hit in the face for the second time. “She needs  _ you _ for that, because Lucifer will need a vessel. The thing is, angels all need and have a specific vessel on this earth, suitable only for them, or else it will combust, unable to contain the angel’s grace. Some angels may find that they are able to have more than one vessel, but for an archangel, their choices are far more limited. Especially one with Lucifer’s power.”

  “And how do I come into this?” Sam asked, as they strode across the lobby, Eileen craning her neck in an attempt to catch up with their conversation by reading Sam’s lips. 

  “You are Lucifer’s vessel.” Cas pushed upon the door, stepping out of the building, and the moment he was out, he could feel his grace returning into his body, the angel inhaling deeply as if to rush the process. Closing his eyes to conceal the undoubted glow emanating from them as Cas let the grace flow through his body, he extended his senses, immediately reaching out for his mate. When doing so, he vaguely registered Sam and Eileen’s souls weren’t registering in his radar. They had stopped within the lobby, but Cas didn’t let that distract him, even when Sam finally regained his senses enough to storm up to Cas and pull at his shoulder, trying to regain his attention.

  “What does Dean have to do with any of this then?” Sam practically roared in Cas’s face.

  Disrupted just as he connected with his mate’s soul, Cas’s eyes flew open, and he ignored Sam’s shocked gasp when he was subjected to Cas’s glowing eyes. He let go of the angel’s shoulder, taking an unconscious step back, and then another, Sam’s eyes still stuck on Cas’s.

  “ Because Lilith wants him. And I’m betting so do the entirety of the demons within hell, once she gets what she wants.” Cas replied, disgust bubbling up within him. He ignored Sam’s enraged, yet terrified and confused, “ _ what?” _ speaking over him intensely.

  “Now, I’ve got a lead on where Lilith is-“

  “I’m coming with.” Sam cut in, bracing himself, as if he expected Cas to deny and that he would have to continue arguing. Instead, Cas tilted his head, regarding Sam, aware of the calculating gleam visible in his now normal eyes to Sam, but not doing anything to hide it as his thoughts raced.

  “Fine.” Cas replied, turning to Eileen as Sam, after taking a moment to process Cas’s response, jerked back in surprise.

   “Give Sam your gun. And then I need you to go to my brothers. Tell them that if I’m not back within the hour, then Lucifer is free and we’re dead - that we’re  _ all _ going to be dead.” He only waited long enough for her to process his word’s enough to give Sam the gun, and then Cas turned back to Sam, who was now looking as if he was going into shock.

  “Brace yourself.” Cas said shortly, aware that this was going to do nothing to help Sam if he really was going into shock, but proceeded to place his hand on Sam’s shoulder before he could react. Withdrawing within himself, Cas quickly sought out the thin string connecting his own grace to his mate’s soul, and once he got a solid hold on it, the two alphas were gone within seconds, the sound of feathers shifting and taking off lost on the only remaining person.

 

oOo

 

**_Detroit, Michigan_ **

**_January 25-26th, 2010_ **

 

  Cas’s eyes narrowed when he landed outside of the church. As much as he wanted to surge in right at that moment, he dutifully held back, waiting for Sam to reorient himself. 

  When he did, it was done quite loudly. 

  “What the  _ fuck _ was that?” Sam yelled. Cas flinched, eying the door apprehensively. As much as he knew he could take whatever Lilith could try throwing at him, powered up by the grace that the demon wouldn’t dare ward against what with her ulterior motive, he’d still rather have the element of surprise on his side so that he could get everything over with quickly, before things went sideways.

  “I flew us to Detroit. Your brother is in there.” Cas tilted his chin at the church, but kept an eye on the alpha. As much as he wasn’t swaying anymore, he still looked far too pale for Cas’s comfort. 

  “Detr-how the fuck did you get us here?”

  Now his narrowed eyes were aimed at Sam as Cas let his annoyance bleed through. “I am an angel, Samuel. I flew you here, because it was much faster than any means of transportations you could have come up with. Now that that is covered, shall we get a move on?” 

  Sam glared right back, but he didn’t quite manage to hide the glimmer of fear that Cas had already started seeing from back in New York. 

  “Yeah, let’s go.” Sam cocked his gun, holding it with both hands to keep them steady, and kept his arms loose but at the ready. But Cas paused at the sight of Sam’s unsteady hand.

 

  “Wait.” Before Sam could protest, Cas was touching a finger to Sam’s arm, and instantly, the skin reknit itself, mending flesh and sinew, no more fresh blood dripping down his fingers despite the weak attempt at Eileen’s bandaging it. After that, with a grateful nod, though Cas could still see how freaked out Sam was, especially when he stared at his hand in awe, he let Cas take the lead. They burst into the church, both the alpha’s senses running on overdrive as they prepared for the worst.

  Which was a good thing, because the moment they were in, they were attacked. 

  Zombies - they were in a church, and out of the corner of his eyes, Cas took in the sight of the tombs shaking and withdrawing their corpses, all within a second, looking back to the resurrected form in front of him. Unsheathing his sword, he drove it through the body, risking another glance around himself. They were getting quickly surrounded by more and more bodies, and though Sam was shooting them, quickly reloading his gun as he took cover behind Cas, there was no way they would be able to get through anytime soon.

  So Cas made a hasty decision, as much as he hated the idea that this was going to be very loud. 

  “Close your eyes” He yelled to Sam over his shoulder, and hoping that the alpha heeded him, Cas drew out his angelic essence, letting it seep through his vessel in an outburst of grace. The room was instantly alit, and the zombies shrieked as they were obliterated, the last thing for them to see being Cas’s body shining so bright, his wings were briefly visible as shadows on the wall behind.

  A moment later, Sam got up shakily. 

  “So. Angel.” He rasped out. 

  Cas huffed. “So I’ve been telling you.” 

  All the while, having been aware of Dean’s soul just meters away, it abruptly caused a harsh, yanking feeling in Cas’s gut as whatever pain Dean was undergoing was suddenly amplified, as though the very body of his mate was being brought down in an explosion. Holding back a cry of his own, Cas ran forward, ignoring Sam’s yelp before he was running after him as well.

  Following the trail seen only by Cas’s angelic eyes, he didn’t bother slowing down when he saw it disappearing behind a set of thick, heavy, wooden doors. If anything, he only increased his pace, and twisting himself slightly so that his shoulder would take the brunt of the impact, he rammed straight into the doors, causing them to slam open and hit the wall on the other side with a loud noise that echoed through the building. But none of that registered to Cas, because the moment his eyes landed on his mate, the demon on top of him assaulting Dean rapidly sitting up in surprise, everything faded away as Cas obtained tunnel vision, narrowing his eyes at Lilith.

  “You sick  _ bitch!”  _ He hissed, and ran forward. Not even letting her react, he ran straight forward, capturing her by her neck and tearing her away from Dean. The sound of Dean’s anguished cry broke through his senses, and he looked down, appalled to realize that Lilith had knotted his mate. The thought of him having just caused pain to his own soul mate wrecked Cas within, but he couldn’t bear to look at the omega - not just yet.

  “I should have killed you  _ ages ago!” _ Cas roared. 

  Lilith smirked, an evil upward tilt of her lips, even as she grasped uselessly at Cas’s tight hold around her neck, her face only getting steadily redder as Cas didn’t let himself hold back from squeezing. 

  “Oh darling, but you’re not going to stop now, are you?” Lilith’s eyes flashed white, even as she grinned maniacally at him. “Go on, kill me!” She hissed. “Either you don’t, and I’ll be back for my  _ bitch.  _ Or you do, and you still don’t get the bitch when Lucifer rises!” Lilith laughed, a wheezing, pathetic sound. “What are you gonna do, lover boy?”

  The furious wildfire of rage roaring within Cas enveloped him with those words, but for all outwards appearances, Cas was suddenly deathly calm, aware that it was far more terrifying than anything else he would be able to show Lilith in her last moments, and relishing in it.

  “You’re wrong. Only if a drop of your blood touches this floor will Lucifer rise. But nor you,  _ or _ any other demon will  _ ever _ , lay another dirty finger on Dean - and you will die with the knowledge that Lucifer will never. Rise.”

  Cas’s eyes erupted as he let his grace free.

 

oOo

 

**_Buffalo, New York_ **

**_Two Days Later_ **

 

  “Dean?” Cas knocked on the door softly, a frown forming on his face when he heard his mate whine weakly from inside. 

  Glancing behind his shoulder and over his - now perpetually out, yet folded neatly at his back - wings to ensure that the hall was empty, Cas pushed the door open, bracing himself for the smell of Dean’s heat soaking up the air of their - Dean’s - room. And still, Cas had to swallow thickly at the overwhelming smell of leather and coriander and slick and need exploding from his mate without reprieve. His wings starting to quiver out of sight, Cas made his way to the bed, pain lacing his own features when he took in his mate’s. 

  “Dean, you need to eat.” He held out the fruits on the plate in his hand to show Dean, but made no move to touch the omega. Wise choice, because when Dean took in how close Cas was to him - good few feet away - he squeezed his eyes shut, throwing the blanket over his head with a pale hand, burying his head into the pillow, all the while his other hand under the sheet and furiously working at his severely abused hole. Cas had already had to heal him three times now, when Dean rubbed at his hole out to the point that it started bleeding, but he had only been able to get anywhere close to Dean when the omega had worn himself out to the point of blacking out from exhaustion. 

  “Get away from me.” Dean sobbed, his voice breaking as he gasped. Cas’s nostrils flared at the scent of another orgasm wrecking through the omega’s body, but it brought the alpha no arousal to see his mate like this. 

  “Dean, please.” Cas begged softly, risking another step forward so that he could crouch beside the bed, bringing himself to eye level. If only Dean let himself out from under the blanket. “I could use my grace to at least make this go faster-“

  “But you’d have to touch me!” Dean cried out, whipping the blanket away from his face. Tears slipped out from bloodshot eyes, the omega gaunt and thin from days of self negligence, and it tore at Cas that he couldn’t do anything to help - no matter how much grace he used to ease through the worst of Dean’s injuries, there was nothing he could do about the mental and emotional trauma Dean was going through now. And it didn’t help one bit that he couldn’t offer physical comfort to his mate. Which was the worst, because it left Cas feeling absolutely useless. 

  It was no wonder that Sam and Eileen didn’t come out from Cas’s room, that he had lent to them when they needed a place to stay, but simultaneously hadn’t wanted to go far from Dean. The amount of times Cas had accidentally lost control and let his frustrated grace burst the lightbulbs or any other nearby electrical appliances or windows kept having their two guests jumping in shock without any signs of getting used to it, and as much as Eileen tried to convince Cas that Sam for his part was getting better… Cas still had his doubts, and it all revolved around Dean and the omega’s welfare at this point. 

  “You know I’d never touch you without your consent.” Cas sighed, dropping his head. “I could never do that to you.” He confessed to the mattress. 

  There was a pause, and then Dean sniffed. “As if my consent would make a difference.”

  Cas’s eyes narrowed as he slowly looked up, wondering if he dared push Dean. “What do you mean?” He asked slowly.

  At Cas’s darkening posture, Dean looked down, unconsciously submitting to the alpha even as he scooted himself backwards on the bed, away from Cas. Dean visibly hurried to regain control on the scent slipping through his glands, but Cas was far too concerned with what Dean was mumbling at that moment to care.

  “My consent.” Dean scoffed, picking at the edge of the blanket and gritting his teeth as more slick made its appearance on his thighs. Barely five minutes and his body was already pushing for another go. Whatever Lilith had done to him, if she wasn’t already dead or if it was in his power, Cas would have brought her back and have made her death far more agonizingly slow, making her pay for each day of hell Dean had had to undergo for the past few years thanks to her. “My consent never mattered, never will. I’m just an omega who spreads his legs for any hungry alpha around who wants me, s’all I’m ever good for.”

  “Don’t you say that.” Cas hissed, and in a blind rage, he was on top of Dean, plate of fruits discarded as he pinned the omega flat on his back to the bed, even though not a sliver of their skin touched. Above them, Cas’s wings extended until it was completely blocking out any sunlight from peeking through the curtains to fall on Dean, the edges of his six wings brushing against three of the four walls. “Don’t you ever say that about yourself! You aren’t  _ just  _ an omega! You are my mate - and even then, no one should to lay with anyone they don’t want to - least of all, you, Dean!” Cas exclaimed, lowering his body all the more closer to Dean, but not touching - never touching. He promised his omega this, and heaven smite him if he want back on it. 

  Dean swallowed, his wide, green eyes glued to Cas’s. “And what if I wanted no one else to touch me anymore-“

  Cas recoiled, preparing to push himself off the bed. “Then nothing, no  _ one,  _ will ever get close to you. You would have my word.” He cut in, looking down, but at the sound of Dean huffing in frustration, he looked back up.

  “What if,” Dean went on, swallowing thickly again as he pushed himself to keep talking, forcing out the words he was obviously having trouble with, but still trying to maintain eye contact the entire time. “What if I only wanted you? Even after everything that’s been done to me, even after how dirty I am-  _ wouldyoustillwantme _ ?” He asked in a rush, and then closed his eyes tightly, as if bracing himself for Cas’s refusal.

  Cas may have been an angel, who by all means, shouldn’t have been able to feel emotion. But at that moment, Cas had never felt more attuned to his vessel as his heart melted at the sight of his mate below him.

  “Oh, Dean.” Cas positively crooned, and now he let himself lower his torso, his legs falling into the gap between Dean’s legs. His body still didn’t touch Dean’s, but he raised a hand, and keeping a close eye on the omega, Cas stroked the side of Dean’s face with a gentle finger. Dean’s eyes fluttered closed at the touch, a soft sigh escaping his parted, lush lips. “I would always want you, no matter what, come high heaven or earth,” Cas leaned forward, his soft breath landing right on Dean’s lips as he talked. “You are always mine, as I am yours.” Cas swore, daring to let his lips brush against Dean’s. Below him, Dean was absolutely still, though he made no move to push Cas away. “If you shall have me.” 

  It was Dean who leaned forward, and Dean who pressed his lips harder against Cas’s, a high pitched whine escaping the omega’s throat as he pulled his hands upward to tangle his slick-drenched hands in Cas’s hair. Not that Cas minded, too enraptured with the feeling of his mate’s lips working against his own. He knew, he knew he had to keep it slow, ready to pull back whenever Dean decided to switch back to not wanting to being touched, having run hot and cold the past couple of days, enough for Cas to realize that he needed to be accustomed to it. And it was that one thought that had Cas keeping his hand firmly placed on the mattress instead of reaching down to Dean’s hips as he wanted to, not letting the other hand cup Dean’s neck, but remaining resolutely with only a finger stroking Dean’s jaw line.

  But then Dean separated his lips from Cas, holding him away to whisper into the small bubble between them. “Touch me. Please.” He whimpered softly, his voice breaking, and with that, Cas let his tightly reined in control slip loose.

 

oOo

 

Sweet Stop - Chapter 50

 

  With Cas peppering kisses on Dean’s lips so passionately, Dean couldn’t resist reaching forward, letting himself be enveloped in everything that was the angel. The feel of Cas’s finger was so soft and gentle against Dean’s skin, he couldn’t help but find himself craving for more, for his mate to drown out anything and everything else that wasn’t the scent of ozone and air and thunder and crackling energy and just something so much more  _ pure _ , something clean, far more cleaner than the taste of Lilith tainting his very essence.

  “Touch me. Please.” He begged Cas to distract him, to take his mind away from the darkness rising ominously at his peripherals, but at the sound of his voice, Cas stiffened. A split second later, and the wings that Cas had been poised high and held stiff as a starched sheet instantly fell. From the corner of his eyes, Dean could see lighter items around his room, either from the sudden gust of wind or from Cas’s wings brushing against them, were brought down, stronger objects shaking in their positions. Cas’s wings came to blanket Dean’s bed, enveloping Dean, but his eyes were drawn and focused onto Cas’s canines, a flash of sharp white teeth before Cas was pressing himself against Dean. His torso finally connected with the omega’s as he nipped and sucked at Dean’s lips, teasing and caressing the plump flesh with his tongue and extended canines, absolutely ravishing the skin there, and Dean could only hopelessly lay there and take it all, barely managing to keep up even as his own canines started to draw out at the scent of his alpha mate’s arousal growing heavier in the air. When Cas finally let his hands roam over Dean’s body before gripping at his waist tightly, Dean’s hips bucked, separating their lips with a gasp as his hands shot out and automatically grabbed onto Cas’s shimmery black wings.

  Dean flushed, eyes closing in shame at the feeling of more slick wetting the spot between his thighs, to the extent that he could feel it staining the front of Cas’s sweatpants. Even if Cas couldn’t feel  _ that, _ then there was no way he couldn’t miss the smell of Dean’s heat climbing to a peak again, the fire raging at Dean’s skin and making the omega only hold on tighter to Cas’s wings.

  “We should-your-I could-“ Cas stuttered, trying to gently pull his waist away from Dean’s, though he didn’t bother pulling away his hands from Dean’s body, his face still centimeters away from the omega.

  Dean swallowed thickly, understanding what Cas was trying to get at. “Yeah-just. Yeah. Go for it.”

  Cas opened his eyes, peering at Dean, his gaze searching, looking for what, Dean didn’t know, but whatever he found, he must have been satisfied, because a moment later, he loosened his hold on Dean’s face, readjusting his position above him, before pressing two fingers to Dean’s forehead.

  Instantly, Dean was filled with the sensation of a soothing, cool, liquid pouring over him from his head and rushing through every cell of his body, all the way down to his very toes. He gasped softly, unaware that his back was stiffening, straightening, before arching ever so light off the bed, fingers digging into the wings of Cas’s feathers as the traces of a fake heat induced unnaturally by Lilith’s orders was washed away. 

  Moments passed, and even after Dean could no longer feel any remnants of the heat in his body, Cas’s grace still flowed through him, but it eventually faded away, leaving Dean blinking in an attempt to reorient himself. His muscles felt severely loosened and relaxed, making him feel like he was as good as melting into a puddle on the bed. His grip on Cas’s wings were loosening as his fingers slipped from the silky feathers, so he ended up letting his hands fall free, wrapping it around Cas’s neck instead in an attempt to still hold onto the angel without his arms falling limply on the bed. 

  “You used too much-“ Dean whispered, all too aware of the possible reciprocations of Cas’s actions. If only they had the foresight though, because if another angel came after them and they had to uproot their lives again… “-What if someone up there noticed?”

  Cas shook his head lightly, careful not to dislodge Dean’s hold on him as he smiled, pecking Dean once lightly on the mouth. “Don’t you worry about it, my brave hunter.” 

  Dean blushed, falling silent as he tried not to squirm at the title. “Not brave.” Dean whispered, his voice low and tired. Cas tightened his grip anew on Dean’s hip, but stayed silent, leaving the matter unspoken, and hopefully remaining so. 

  Without Dean’s heat burning him up from the insides and not letting him essentially survive, he was now finally feeling the pull of slumber urging him into its grasp, and his eyelids fluttered at the effort to keep them open. Thanks to Cas’s grace, he wasn’t feeling exhausted in the way his heat usually left him feeling - used up, worn out, and just done with his biology as he’d wonder with disgust if he had the energy to wash his sweat and slick coated body. 

  Except. Except the sheets under him didn’t make a disgusting squelching sound as he shifted, and he most definitely did not feel wet… down there.

  Dean shook his head, slightly wondrous as he kept his gaze down. He couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth and talk anymore, but after the slightest bit of concentration, he managed to slip out the smell of gratitude from his scent glands, knowing that there wasn’t any way the alpha could miss it.

  And he didn’t. 

  “Hey,” Cas tilted Dean’s chin up with a finger, making Dean meet his gaze. “It’s nothing, believe me.”

  But Dean shook his head, trying to look away. “Not the only thing I’m thanking you for, buddy.”

  There was a moment of silence before Cas sighed, the corner of his lips turning up, wings gently working as he pushed himself up and off of Dean. For a second, Dean was overcome with a bout of panic, thinking Cas was going to leave him, but then the alpha came to lay beside Dean, shifting so that his wings weren’t crushed in an awkward position as he faced Dean. He reached out, looking hesitantly up at Dean, as if asking for permission. Dean managed a shaky smile that he knew didn’t reach his eyes, and he knew that Cas saw it, but the angel took it for what it was, and let his hand land on Dean’s side, softly stroking him through the fabric of the old white t-shirt. “You don’t have to thank me for that either, Dean. What happened in Detroit-“

  A wave of bile rose rapidly in Dean’s throat, and he urgently looked away, blinking rapidly as he tried to fight it down. Cas immediately backtracked at the sight, his hand clutching Dean tightly before abruptly loosening, looking as if he was gonna pull away, his wings extending and stiffening. Though he couldn’t bring himself to look at Cas yet, Dean’s hand shot up, holding Cas’s in place on his side. After a few terse seconds passed by, when Dean was sure he wasn’t gonna puke, he started rubbing the back of Cas’s hand with his thumb, silently encouraging him to go on.

  A second ticked by, before Cas obliged. “You don’t have to thank me. Not when I am the one who should be apologizing for leaving you all alone in the first place. I should have never left your side.”

  Dean frowned at Cas’s words, automatically turning onto his side without thinking. “The hell are you talking about, man? I asked you to let me be for a bit! ‘Course you’d have left me alone, I needed my space-“

  But Cas shook his head, a remorseful look settling on his face. “That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have kept a closer eye on you, or made sure I kept note of your soul, or-“

  Dean cut him off, briefly confused at mentions of his soul, but putting it away at the moment in order to address the bigger situation here. “Look.” Dean said firmly, making sure he had Cas’s full attention before continuing. “There was no way -  _ no way  _ \- we could have known that Sam would - that he’d do what he did, or that Lilith would show up and apparently still be alive, okay? And not only that, but you had to let me out on my own - I’m still a damn good hunter who should be able to take care of his own ass, and I’m still my own person! Even if you’re my mate,” he swallowed, trying to ignore Cas’s soft look at his words and pushed on. “I’m still going to - I can still look after myself, and I don’t need anyone constantly looking after me like-like I’m some sort of weak omega who can’t think for himself. Alright?”

  By now, though it wasn’t apparent in his ever stoic features, Dean knew that the alpha was appropriately chastised, and when he nodded understandingly, he couldn’t help but twine their fingers together, twisting their hands so that their palms were connected and placing their entwined hands in the small gap on the bed between them.

  “I understand - but.” Cas frowned, looking up at Dean in bewilderment. “‘What Sam did to you?’” He repeated dumbly. “Dean - Sam didn’t - he wasn’t the one who hurt you. Dean, Sam was possessed!”

 

oOo

 

**_Buffalo, New York_ **

**_One Day Later, January 29th, 2010_ **

 

  Sam sipped at his coffee, unregistering of its taste as he stared blankly outside the window. 

  For the past three days now, he’d been staying at the angel’s suite, staying in his assigned room with Eileen while the angel did whatever it was he did throughout the day, when he wasn’t checking in on Dean. Claiming that he didn’t sleep that first day didn’t really make sense when he still had a bed in his own room, but Sam had eventually given in, retiring to the angel’s bed and firmly ignoring how it smelled far too much like his brother as well as the angel for his comfort. Eileen had offered to take the ground - only for him to realize their situation and practically almost shoved her to the bed and rush to settle down on the ground, hoping to avoid any discussions just so he could sleep already. But, sensing his urge to lose consciousness, she pushed him on the bed instead, the omega stronger than what her appearances might provide a person to think, and then promptly jumped in beside him, shedding only her jacket and boots before pulling the blankets over them, needlessly shushing at a shell shocked Sam before cracking a mischievous grin that didn’t reach her eyes, and then shut her eyes. With no other choice, Sam numbly followed suit, and soon, sleep overcame him.

  He came to appreciate Eileen’s presence not long after, because it felt like he had barely been asleep for a few minutes before the nightmares had begun, dragging Sam through a hell of painfully vivid images of his own hands working at Dean, his own brother, before the image faded to Jess, and then Jess was burning, except no, it was his brother on the ceiling, but Dean was gasping for air, because he couldn’t breathe, because his lungs were clogged, and he coughed, and water was bubbling from his mouth even as his skin was smoking…

  Sam came to with a worried Eileen kneeling over him, and it took Sam a few moments to realize that  _ he  _ was the one who was struggling to breathe, and it made no sense, because it was Dean that was hurt, his own  _ brother _ that he had tortured with his bare hands.

  Yeah. He hadn’t really slept well for the past few days, and even when he was awake, despite whatever magic -  _ grace,  _ Castiel called it - had used so that neither hide nor hair slipped from Dean’s room, and even when the angel slipped through the door to check on the omega, not a sound or smell of what Dean should have been undergoing reached Sam’s ears… 

  That still didn’t stop the knowledge that his brother was in there because he was suffering. And it was all Sam’s fault. 

  “Hey.” 

  The sudden rasp of his brother’s voice startled Sam into awareness, and his coffee cup shook haphazardly, spilling some of its contents on his hand as he whirled around to face his brother.

  “Dean.” It sounded like it was punched out of Sam, forced as it was as he took in the sight of his omega brother.

  He was standing on the other side of the table, wearing a thick gray robe on top of grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. It felt so odd for Sam to see Dean in something that wasn’t jeans or a darker color to better hide bloody stains, so to see Dean looking practically at home - or as much as he could while he clutched at his robe’s belt tightly while visibly forcing himself to maintain eye contact with Sam…

  It left Sam seriously disoriented, to say the least. 

  “Uh. It’s-it’s good to see you up and about, man.” Sam weakly offered, trying, and failing, for a grin. 

  Dean returned it with a pathetic attempt of his own. “I was gonna get myself some coffee,” Dean paused, eyeing the balcony behind Sam. “Wanna go outside?” 

  Sam peeked over his shoulder, more out of reflex than needing to actually see what he hadn’t been looking at for the past half hour or more. “Yeah, yeah! Of course.” Wincing at his own over enthusiasm, Sam quickly hid it to give Dean a reassuring grin, raising his mug at him in acknowledgement. Dean nodded back, disappearing into the kitchen to get his aforementioned drink, while Sam worked on getting the doors open, grabbing his coffee cup from the dining table from when he had placed it there while he figured out how to unlock the doors. He slipped outside, taking a deep lungful of the fresh air and closed his eyes, letting himself bask in the sunrise and chilly wind.

  When Dean still hadn’t joined him, Sam took the time to look around, eyebrows raising at the expanse of plants surrounding him. Risking a few steps forward, he came to a halt as the sound of buzzing reached his ears, eyebrows furrowing in confusion at what the noise could be. 

  “Bees.” Dean answered for him, stepping out on the balcony and closing the doors behind him, preventing the warmth from escaping their home. “Cas’s bees, that is. He’s the one behind all the gardening and beekeeping and stuff.” Dean waved at the plants with his mug, his other hand tucked into his robe’s pocket.

  Sam turned his surprised face to his brother. “The angel… keeps… bees?” He wasn’t sure if he was having a hard time comprehending that because of how… befuddling that idea was, or because he couldn’t put together the image of a furious Angel of The Lord smiting zombies and demons without breaking a sweat, looking after  _ bees.  _ Okay, so maybe that wasn’t out of the norm for a guardian Angel or whatever, but still.  _ Bees? _

  Dean huffed lightly, amusement lighting up his thin, gaunt, face as he peered into his coffee mug, coming to stand against the railing, leaning against it as he faced Sam and the plants.

  “Yep. Right a bit farther down - you can actually see it from outside his bedroom window. It’s where you’ve been staying, right? Didn’t you guys see it?” Dean asked skeptically, and Sam thought back to that buzzing sound he had been waking up to for the past few days, but definitely hadn’t been paying much attention to, dismissing it initially as some sort of heater or some other machinery working clunkily in the building. 

  “Guess I didn’t notice.” Sam replied softly, turning back to the plants, trying to see if he recognized any as he sipped at his now disgustingly cold coffee. He forced himself to swallow it anyway, more to give himself something to do as he wondered if he should say anything.

  Dean went first, and the clearing of his throat was the only warning Sam should have understood.

  “Cas told me you were possessed.” Dean said quietly. Sam struggled not to choke, turning around. His brother was absolutely still, resolutely looking down at his coffee intently, face as blank as his scent. 

  Sam nodded. “Yeah - apparently, Ruby wasn’t Ruby at all, but-“

  “Lilith.” Dean finished for him. Sam fell silent, nodding slightly. 

  “Yeah,” he managed to return after a moment. “Lilith.”

  He looked down at his own murky liquid, wondering if he should just upend it into one of the plant pots or over the railing, before discarding both of the ideas. He’d really rather not deal with an unfortunate passerby angered right now, or accidentally killing one of the angel’s plants. 

  “But yeah. She called me about one of my cases, but when I got there, she was standing there with this other girl, and the next thing I know, demon smoke was coming out of that girl and going into me while Ru-Lili-while she just watched on.” Sam stuttered, swallowing awkwardly as he tried to keep talking. Dean still didn’t look up, but Sam could see his hand tightening its grip on the coffee mug. “After that…”

  When Sam trailed off, eyes going distant as he looked off to the side, Dean looked up, his eyes sharp and assessing. “After that, what?”

  Sam shook his head, pulling himself back into the present. “After that, I don’t remember much,” he hesitated, on the verge of lying, but knowing he couldn’t deal with the guilt if he kept silent, he opted for the truth. “But I remember the important bits. Like what I did to you.”

  Dean paled, but his gaze didn’t waver from Sam’s, jaw clenching for a moment before he spoke. “It wasn’t you, Sam. It was that demon who did what she did to me, because Lilith told her to. None of it’s on you.”

  “Oh yeah?” Sam challenged, knowing he probably shouldn’t push Dean, but unable to help it. “And how would you know that? I was there, Dean!” His voice went lower, enunciating his words in an attempt to emphasize his urgency that Dean understood what he was getting at. “I was there - I saw myself lifting my hands and taking those blades and-and everything else to your skin! I was there when I branded you, and I was there when I tried to drown you! So tell me how that wasn’t me!” Sam was yelling, coffee spilling everywhere as he gestured wildly but not caring, because he was also pleading, begging his brother to say something, say anything, and make one of them realize that Sam was in the wrong, and he had to atone for what he did. Dean had to see that, because all Sam could still see was carving into Dean’s now smooth skin, he could still trace the outlines of where he had broken flesh and more. And it was driving him crazy.

  Dean had pressed himself flat against the rail, as white as a goddamn sheet, but still, somehow, his face and scent gave nothing away. It was all in his eyes, though, and there, Sam could see immense sadness. Sam wasn’t sure if he knew who that was supposed to be aimed at, but he had a feeling he didn’t really wanna know either. 

  “You’re wrong.” Dean voice was low, to the point that it was practically a rasp. Clearing his throat, Dean tried again, and this time, it came out much more stronger, sounding so much more of the brother he knew to be raised under John Winchester. “You’re wrong. Even if you saw all that happening, there wasn’t anything you could have done Sam - nothing! Because you were possessed, and everything, every single fucking thing falls on those demons! They’re the ones who had to pay for what they did, not you! And they did, so everything’s over, Sam, alright? Everything, Lilith, Ruby, Meg, Al-all those demons, hell, even the yellow eyed demon that killed mom? - It’s all over! They paid for what they did, and yeah, we definitely hit some bumps on the way, but we’re fine now!” Dean stepped away from the rail, coming a step closer to the alpha, pleading and pushing for Sam to let the words coming out of Dean’s mouth to drive themselves firmly within Sam’s head. “Sammy, we’re alright! You’re here, Cas is here, even I’m here still in one piece! We’re done, Sammy!”

  All of the air escaped Sam’s lungs as tears burst to his eyes, vision going blurry as he looked at Dean, hardly daring to believe his ears.

  “What the-“ Dean’s voice sounded alarmed, most likely at the sight of his brother looking close to breaking down, but Sam couldn’t help it.

  “You called me Sammy.”

  Dean stared quietly at Sam.

  “Out of everything - that’s what you got out of it?” He managed to ask, disbelievingly and sounding the slightest bit pissed. But Sam shook his head, trying to emphasize the moment.

  “Dean - you haven’t called me that in  _ years.” _

  Immediately, any traces of annoyance disappeared from Dean’s features, his brother looking abruptly abashed as he looked down, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

  “Yeah, well. It’s not like we’ve been doing any talking for me to call you much of anything, really, Sam.”

  It tugged at Sam’s heartstrings for him to hear Dean revert to calling him by Sam again, making him briefly wonder if it had been really worth calling Dean out on it if it meant there was a chance he wasn’t gonna do it again now. But instead, it brought something else to Sam’s mind.

  “You’re right.” Sam said decisively, his tone forcing Dean to look back up again. “We haven’t talked much, and I need-I wanna change that, Dean. That time we talked wasn’t even a proper conversation, we were just throwing insults around-“

  “That we didn’t even mean!” Dean cut in, getting fired up before just as quickly deflating with a sigh, leaning against the rail again as his body slumped. “Sammy, I get that we said some shit and I get that we didn’t mean it, but c’mon, man. It’s been years. We don’t have to go over all that again honestly, can’t we just move on and agree to never bring it up again?”

  Sam sniffed, readjusting his grip on his coffee mug and taking a cautious step closer, and when his brother didn’t react negatively, he hesitantly made his way to stand beside his brother, a foot of distance between them nonetheless as he mirrored Dean’s position against the rail. “I don’t think I can move on, Dean.” Before his brother could protest, he quietly went on, his words surprising Dean into silence. “Not without apologizing. I don’t care if I meant them or not, or even how much I wouldn’t even dare thinking of saying that to you now. I never should have called you what I did, and for that, I’m sorry, Dean. I really am.”

  Beside him, Dean didn’t say a word, and Sam couldn’t bring himself to say anything else, unable to even look or move, but the tension was rising within his chest with each passing second going by without a response, until finally, just as he felt like he was gonna snap-

  “Yeah, well. I’m sorry too.”

  He didn’t think he could have whipped his head around faster than at that moment if he tried, not that he would though. The sudden movement had his neck immediately yelling at him for it, but Sam didn’t even bother acknowledging the sharp pain. 

  “What?”

  “I said I’m sorry.” Dean shuffled a bit, glancing at Sam out of the corner of his eye but not meeting his gaze. Despite the sharpness of his words, his tone was soft, so quiet that Sam had to concentrate on the words coming out of Dean’s mouth to make sure he was actually hearing correctly, because there was no way his brother was apologizing. Not when he had any reason to. “You weren’t the only one who was digging barbs that night. We know each other so well, I mean, I was obviously gonna react. And I said some things that I knew would hurt you just as bad-“

  “You called me a ‘wanna-be alpha knothead.’” Sam recalled with a faint smirk now. Yeah, once upon a time that made him growl with discomfort, but compared to the past few days, that was nothing. 

  And yet, Dean still winced. “Yeah. Among other things.” He reminded Sam, and the smile faded. Yeah, John always was a sore subject for both of them, and didn’t they know it and exactly how to use it against each other…

  “So, yeah. I’m sorry I said all of that.” Dean finished.

  Sam huffed. “You don’t have to-“

  “Yeah, I do.”  Dean interrupted with a sharp glance at Sam, and the alpha shut his mouth. “So just take it without bitchin’, alright?” 

  A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, a moment passed, and then Sam just let it take over. “Yeah, man.” He shook his head, a faint grin ghosting his lips as he looked to the balcony doors, his mind elsewhere.

  Sam was content to just stand there and had resigned himself to finishing off the now thoroughly repelling liquid in his hands while Dean drank his own, when he suddenly replayed their conversation in his mind, something sticking out to him.

  “Hey-who’s Meg?” And then something else hit him so hard, San practically stumbled as he pushed himself away from the railing, coming to stand across Dean. “And what do you mean the demon who killed mom is dead? You-you killed it? And you didn’t tell me?”

  Shock warred with something else on Dean’s features as he stared at Sam, any color he had regained from their brief reconciling gone now.

  “Jesus-“ Dean looked away, rubbing a hand over his face. “That’s a hell of a long story, Sammy.”

  “Yeah? Well, we’ve got nothing but time.” And Sam rooted himself right there, barefoot on the cold concrete floor and barely protected against the cold winter air of New York, ready to be given an explanation of a lifetime.

  But Dean regarded Sam as if he had gone crazy. “Yeah, okay, fine.” He accepted. “But dude, we’ve gotta go inside, or we’re gonna freeze when I’m barely a word in, and then you probably won’t be as happy to have to stall it and I doubt Cas would be happy in thawing us out either. So let’s just go in?” He raised his eyebrows expectantly at Sam, and though he wanted Dean to just start right now, Sam had to concede temporary defeat. Dean was right; if they stayed out here any longer, they were definitely gonna freeze to their deaths, which Sam so wasn’t keen on happening anytime soon. Not when he’d just gotten his brother back.

  “Fine.” He turned around, pushing open the balcony door but waiting beside it for Dean to go in first, ignoring his brother’s heavy eye roll as he did.

  Rather than settling at the sofa or the dining table, like Sam expected him to, Dean made his way into the kitchen instead, sipping the last of his coffee and starting to wash it at the sink. Keeping his back to Sam, that’s when Dean decided to speak up. 

  “I guess I better start with Yellow-Eyes. Found out later his name was Azazel, because apparently, demons do have their own demonic names.” Dean sighed, shoulders tensing under his robe as he dried the mug, placing it on its rack. With nothing else to do, he finally turned around, leaning against the sink while facing Sam, arms crossing. “Dad and I - uh - hang on. Let me rewind a bit. After I, you know, came to try asking you to come with to find dad-“

  “But then you left.” Sam nodded, but when Dean winced, he fixed his face accordingly to show Dean that he was fine with it, and to just move on with the story. Thankfully, Dean did.

  “Yeah. Well. It took me a while - never actually did find him. He left behind his journal and coordinates for cases ‘round the country, and I was just going wherever they led me, finishing up a wendigo case, or haunted Native-American grounds, or oh, even had to gank a scarecrow.” He smirked at Sam’s bewildered face, before continuing. “But then, yeah. One of the cases somehow put me on Yellow-Eyes trail, and next thing I know, dad’s with me, tryna see it through, but when Azazel slipped through our fingers-“

  “Wait!” Sam cut up, standing up from where had been sitting at the barstool. “You had him in your grasp? And he escaped?”

  Dean frowned, rubbing the back of his head as his gaze grew distant, obviously thinking. “Not exactly.” He winced, features growing darker. “See, there was a vampire hunt for a case. Which - vampires are real, by the way." Dean grinned faintly, his gaze a bit distracted nonetheless. 

  Sam huffed. "Yeah. Eileen told me."

  Dean quirked his eyebrows. "Ah. Well. Anyway-" he cleared his throat. “Basically, I got my hands on what I thought was a cool gun, and then dad sends me these coordinates before joining me himself, taking the gun - which ended up being the Colt. That’s right, made by Samuel Colt himself, renown for being able to kill demons.”

  Dean grinned, as much as it didn’t reach his eyes, at Sam’s properly impressed face, and though he looked annoyed, he didn’t say anything when Sam cut in with another question this time. “So, where’s the Colt now?” 

  “False bottom in the trunk of the impala.” Dean replied easily, and Sam’s eyebrows skyrocketed.

  “You have a demon killing gun in the trunk of - Dean, why couldn’t you use it earlier?” He exclaimed, and Dean was now back to looking annoyed.

  “Because, smartass. Gun’s out of bullets, and it takes a special kind for it to actually work. And I haven’t figured out exactly where to even start to be able to make more of ‘em.” Dean pursed his lips. “Haven’t had much of the opportunity, guess you could say.” He added vaguely. 

  Sam stuttered, trying to figure out how to appease his brother and also get Dean back on track. It took him a few false starts before he mangled to push a few words out into a comprehensible sentence. “Okay, so you got the Colt from a nest of  _ vampires _ and met up with dad, and then trapped Yellow-Eyes, only for him to slip free. How’d that happen?”

  Dean sighed, shaking his head. He was resolutely not meeting Sam’s eyes now, as he straightened up and walked over to the fridge. 

  “Beer?” He offered Sam, his voice clipped as he got one out for himself. Getting the feeling that he was gonna need it, Sam accepted, reaching out for the beer Dean held out.

  It took Dean to take a good chug of the beer down and settle against the fridge this time before he spoke, eyes downcast and voice low.

  “I thought Azazel had gotten dad, but then he came back, saying we had to get the hell outta dodge. So I did, tryna keep my mouth shut about why, even though he was lookin’ all roughed up and outta breath, how he was still cool as a cucumber. Didn’t ask him a thing, even when he drove off the road and into this abandoned house or whatever, claiming it to be one his hunter buddy’s hideouts. I had the gun with me, and he was asking me for it, but I dunno man,” Dean closed his eyes, taking another gulp of his beer, jaw clenching as he swallowed, looking off to the side as his eyes grew glassy. “There was just something off, something wasn’t right, and I didn’t give him the gun. Next thing I know, it's not dad lookin’ at me anymore, but Yellow-Eyes, and he’s just standing there, clawing my guts out and saying something about soldiers and wars and apocalypses. I didn’t think much of it at the time, what with half of my insides starting to be on my outsides, but then dad’s got a lid on the demon, holding him back and telling me to shoot him.” Dean’s mouth wavered as he tried to press his mouth closed in an attempt to hold back his emotions, but there was already a tear making its way down his cheek. From across him, Sam sat there, paralyzed in silent horror, unable to make himself move or even say anything, all too aware of his heartbeat as Dean grew closer and closer to the part of the story that Sam was suddenly dreading to hear, realizing with terror what Dean was gonna say anyway.

  “I couldn’t do it.” And Dean finally met Sam’s eyes, looking as broken as Sam was ready to bet he did the day this happened. “God help me, Sam, but I couldn’t do it. So dad took the gun from me. And he shot himself. Right in the chest.” Dean jabbed a finger to his own chest, indicating where the bullet had gone through their father, and Sam couldn’t breathe.

  “And he killed the demon, Sam. He killed the demon that killed mom, he killed the demon behind everything, but it should have - I should have done anything, because now Dad’s dead as well. And that’s on me.”

  “Dean-“

  “No, Sam.” Dean shook his head harshly, refusing to listen. “If I had just held onto the gun, or-“

  “Dean.” Sam cut in, louder this time as he stood up, coming around the island to stand in front of his brother. “You told me it wasn’t my fault for what I did to you? Then believe me when I tell you this. From what it sounds like, dad made that decision on his own, and there wasn’t anything you could do about it. The only thing that’s happening right now is that you’re just letting dad get to you and, what, commandeer your life like he always does? You don’t have to carry any guilt, Dean! Not when you aren’t even guilty of anything in the first place!” He beseeched, breathing heavily as he ducked down and tried to meet his brother’s gaze. With a pang, he suddenly found himself coming to an all too painful realization. 

  “That’s what you’ve been doing, isn’t it?” Dean visibly held his breath, still turned partially to the side as Sam pushed on. “Dad - he made you think it’s all your fault, and you’ve been carrying it around for all these years, haven’t you?” Sam exhaled, dragging his hand through his hair and taking a step back when Dean closed his eyes shamefully.

  “He didn’t have to make me think anything, Sam, not when it is-“

  “Don’t.” Sam closed his eyes, trying to breathe evenly in an attempt to bring his heart rate down. It wasn’t the first time Sam had gotten angry at John, and probably won’t be the last, but the extent of his anger made the alpha want to reach out to whatever plane of existence his father’s soul was in right now, and pummel him a good few times. At the very least.

  “Just. Ok. So you killed Yellow-Eyes. Then what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: The Epilogue!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it.. we're finally here.. y'all have any idea how happy I am to tick this mother off my list? :D

Sweet Stop - Chapter 51

 

  Dean sighed, craning his neck in an attempt to stretch it. Cas’s grace may have left him feeling a whole lot better than he had in years, but that didn’t stop Dean from feeling like he could nonetheless sleep for an entire month. As it was, the fact that he still had to perform normal human functions weighed on the background of Dean’s mind, but the fact that he needed to talk out all this shit with his brother was lying more heavily in the foreground. 

  “Let’s see, this was a year after Stanford, and then for the next year it was a bit of a shitty time.” Dean tried not to flush and give himself away as he remembered what exactly  _ shitty _ entailed - sleepless nights in his car, roughed up with wounds he more than easily could have avoided on hunts, going in with a barely half-cocked plan and barely getting his ass out alive by the end, late nights at bars letting rough alphas he normally wouldn’t even glance at except to assess if they were any trouble to more than just rough him up, and the entire thing foggy because he spent most of it either drunk, stoned, or maybe even a mixture of both. “But then-“ And Dean stopped.

  There was no way he was going to tell Sam about Alastair, that much was certain, but as much as Cas did tell him that as far as Sam knew, his brother had only been on Lilith’s radar because of him being the actual friggin’  _ devil’s  _ vessel, but that didn’t explain much as to why and how Lilith got so infatuated with Dean. Though Dean had to admit, though Lilith may have pressed some vague interest during their deal making… he’d never even thought as to how far that interest extended.

  “I-I met Lilith.” Dean carefully placed the bottle on the counter, knowing that his hands that were starting to shake would easily be seen by his brother. So he shoved them both under his armpits instead, tightly crossing his arms. “She was supposed to be a one night stand kind of deal, until she was actually a demon instead, and showing way too much interest in you. So I made a deal. Not to harm a hair on your head and leave you guys the hell alone, and she could have whatever she wanted in return.”

  Sam gaped at him, his jaw going slack before he exploded. “Are you  _ fucking crazy?” _ Sam threw his hands up in the air, his posture growing larger as his furious alpha pheromones filled the air. A slight buzzing sound started at the base of the back of Dean’s head, slowly increasing until it was muting out the end of whatever Sam was yelling. “You made a deal with a demon - and over me? Dean-“

  He took a step closer, and Dean flinched, eyes squeezing shut as he tried and failed to stop breathing in the thick and oppressing air.

  Like a flash of lightning with the accompanying crackle of thunder, Cas was in front of Dean, all six wings out and extended as he stood in Sam and Dean, blocking Sam’s vision of his elder brother.

  “Sam.” Cas’s voice was deathly loud in the suddenly all too silent kitchen, the single word ringing sharply in the air. “I would advise you to tread carefully. You and Dean are conversing quite well, but you are starting to cross a line here.”

  Though Dean couldn’t see much with his eyes still closed, and as much as his heart rate was slowly decreasing into a normal range with the comforting scent of his mate’s ozone and fresh air forcing its way into his lungs, he could still smell the moment when Sam realized his mistake, all traces of anger disappearing and rapidly being replaced with a scent Dean was too familiar with recognizing as self hatred at that moment.

  “Oh my god,” he heard Sam whisper. “Did-is he-oh fuck.” 

  Dean shook his head, his mind clearing and deciding he  _ so _ did not like the situation he was in now.

  “No.” He straightened, coming out to stand beside Cas instead of behind him. “I’m fine. Cas, we’ve got it from here.”

  Cas shot him a sharp look, his gaze calculating as he looked straight at Dean, making the omega vaguely uncomfortable with how deep Cas’s gaze seemed to be.

  “Dean-“

  “I’m fine.” Dean stated, voice firm. But then his eyes softened as he looked at Cas. “Really, buddy. Don’t worry.”

  Cas stood still for a second, before reluctantly acquiescing with a nod, drawing in his wings with a sudden look of what could almost be embarrassment, careful to not let it touch Sam, though it definitely grazed against Dean’s skin before it was tucked neatly against his back. For all that Dean was wearing a thick robe and by all means shouldn’t have been able to feel a feather through the heavy fabric, he still shivered lightly when Cas’s grace made contact with him anyway through his wings. “I’ll be outside.” He muttered softly to Dean, placing a hand on Dean’s hip as he came close to his ear. His lips brushed against Dean’s skin as he spoke, and it took everything in Dean to not get a hard on in front of his brother’s annoyingly sharp eyes as Cas retreated with an infuriatingly knowing and smug look, face morphing to shoot Sam a warning one before walking out of the kitchen.

  Dean sighed. When he turned to face Sam, he felt a sudden bout of irritation spike within him at Sam’s panicked expression, and possibly for the first time in a long while, if not ever, the omega wished for the ability to simply transport certain thoughts or memories within another person - that way, he could just fill Sam up on seconds and how he felt about them and how he’d rather Sam react and just hightail it out of there while his brother sorted everything out, and Dean could just enjoy some time cuddled up with his alpha. 

  But then again, he wasn’t the one with super abilities around here, and the only person who could, would most likely tell him to talk it out anyway. 

  Which Dean was, in all fairness, trying to do.

  “Look.” Dean said, before Sam could undoubtedly start apologizing - his scent already coming across as chastised and cowed, highlighted by the expressions playing out on his face. How this man was supposed to be a seasoned lawyer at court was suddenly escaping Dean. “Let’s just ignore the past few seconds, and get on with the story, alright?” 

  Sam looked at him as if he was crazy, speaking up before Dean could realize he wasn’t agreeing with him. “Are you-man, I’m sorry I burst a fuse right now, but you made a deal with a tricking demon? How the hell am I supposed to keep calm a-“

  “I did it for you!” Dean yelled, trying to fight back a snarl as the memories flooded through his mind. “I did it for you, alright?” He repeated. “Lilith was fucking around with me, telling me that she was as good as gonna make you her bitch or whatever, how the Sam I knew wasn’t gonna be someone I knew any longer, that she had ‘ _ big plans’ _ for you, and that by using you, she was gonna make the whole world nothing more than a dust particle by the time she’s done! So sue me, Sam, if I didn’t want any of that happening, if I was concerned that she was gonna make you her little bitch and chew up the earth we live on!” His voice had been steadily increasing, and by the time he was done, Dean was practically yelling, pissed off and defensive omega pheromones stinking up the kitchen. Dean didn’t notice.

  “Dean-“

  “So yes. I made the deal.” Dean took a deep breath with his eyes closed, forcing himself to calm the hell down. “And instead of you giving Lucifer a joyride upside immediately, she made  _ me _ hi-her bitch instead, used me to try and do some fucked up shit.”

  Sam’s eyes narrowed at that. “‘Fucked up shit?’” He repeated dryly. “What do you mean by ‘fucked up shit’.” His voice was barely kept at a reasonable level, but at least he was keeping a better lid on his scent - and by that, all Dean could smell was general little brother alpha, Sam having resorted to his ingrained training of keeping his scent neutral. 

  Dean looked away, swallowing uncomfortably. “Just, you know.” He took another deep exhale. “Kept me home boy at nights, told me things would be a hell of a lot better if I just kept quiet and took it like the good omega bitch I was. But then later it became more that if I did what was happening to me on someone else - girl named Meg, that’s all I knew then - then things would be loads better.” Dean rolled his eyes, unable to help himself at that. “Like hell did I fall for that, though. So I kept my mouth zipped. Probably would have died from it too, if Cas didn’t get me out when he did. Though it didn’t end up as bright for that Meg chick.” Dean finished quietly.

  “Dean-“ 

  The omega stiffened when Sam rushed at him again, but this time, Sam stopped a couple of feet away, and with Dean’s eyes having drawn to him at the moment, it didn’t take long for Dean to notice the tear tracks down his brother’s face.

  “Sam?” Oh god, maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned Meg, what if Sam put two and two together and realized that was the demon who possessed him, what if there was something wrong with that, but what the hell could be the matter, as if Dean would know though, because Dean was still tryna relearn his brother, and what if -

  “God, I’m so sorry!” Sam burst out, his head tilting to the side as he looked brokenly at Dean. “I should have just come with you when you called me - maybe all this wouldn’t have happened then-“

  “No, Sammy.” Dean shook his head, a small pained smile forcing its way on his lips against his better judgement. “Yeah, there were probably a lot of things that could have been avoided if you came, but I don’t regret a moment of it. I mean, yeah, dad died, but hey, I got to meet Cas, but better yet, you got your apple pie life! You’re a friggin’ badass lawyer now, man! And look, I got to see you here after all, and we’re finally talking again! So if you ask me, everything’s good, Sammy.”

  Despite his words, it did nothing to stop Sam from still looking at Dean like an anguished puppy though. 

  “Look.” Dean sighed, resolving to just finish the story and get a move on now. His feet were starting to hurt from standing still for so long, so he shuffled, neatly maneuvering around his brother without touching him as he took a seat at the island. Sam turned around, on the other side of it and back stiff as he kept his eyes trained on Dean with watery eyes. “I made the deal with Lilith. Cas got me out of playing a real life voodoo doll, we stumbled on a case, thought we killed her, but apparently, we didn’t - Cas told me that even though the girl was Lilith’s meat suit from the previous time I had seen her, body was apparently possessed by another demon posing as Lilith - Ruby?”

  Sam grit his teeth, eyes flying to the countertop as he nodded. “Yeah, I’ve known Ruby - or, well, the demon I guess, but possessing the body Lilith was in now - for a few years. She acted like my friend, cared for me and all after J-Jess.” Sam swallowed, his face tight and paling as he resolutely avoided Dean’s eyes. 

  Dean nodded, shook his head, then just blinked, eyebrows raising. “Yeah, you totally did not lose me there.” He muttered. “Anyway. Apparently that’s who we killed in Detroit last month. We thought it was all over, but then-“

  “Two days ago, that day happened.”

  Dean huffed. “Yeah. That.”

  They fell silent, Sam picking at the label on a discarded beer sitting on the island. 

  “So. What now?” Sam asked, voice hesitant.

  Dean raised his eyebrows at his brother. He was almost tempted to ask for an elaboration, but decided against it. 

  “Now… I’m probably gonna go back hunting. With Cas.” He stated simply, eyebrows drawing together when he spotted Sam’s shoulders hunching at that, though. 

  “‘Course, I thought of takin’ a few days off first, ya know? I mean, I was planning to just… rest… but Cas ain’t too keen on me ‘cooping myself up at home’ So I thought we’d go road tripping, see the grand canyon and shit. And maybe if there was something easy on the way…” Dean shrugged, trailing off. He was tempted to look away from his brother again, except Sam was suddenly looking a lot more upset than when he started talking.

  “Hey. You okay?” Dean asked, his voice gentle.

  Sam swallowed, head tilting up, though he didn’t exactly meet Dean’s gaze.

  “Just. Yeah. I mean, I was wondering. If, you know-“

  “Just spit it out, Sam,” Dean snapped, though there wasn’t too much of a bite in his tone. “I ain’t gettin’ any younger here.” 

  “Could I come with you?” 

  Dean blinked, taken aback. He’d admit, he wasn’t really sure what he was expecting… but that sure as hell wasn’t it.

  “You… wanna come with-what?”

  Sam took a deep breath. From the corner of his eyes, Dean could see that the label was almost completely off the bottle by now. “With you. And Cas. To hunt.” Sam stated.

  Dean paused.

  “Oh.”

  “I mean, I don’t have to. God knows, you probably don’t want me close to you when you wanna relax or I’d get if you can’t trust me near you with weap-but-“

  “Sam, shut up.”

  Sam’s jaw clacked with an audible snap as he hurried to follow Dean’s words, and any other time, Dean would have found that funny. As it was, he was still struggling to process the past couple of minutes anyway, so amusement was gonna have to wait in line.

  “Sam-“ Dean shook his head, hurrying to speak when Sam’s face fell. “No, dude, that would be awesome, but-what about your job?

  “My job?” Sam asked, confused. Dean fought the urge to smack his head. Or maybe Sam’s. Yeah, that sounded more likely.

  “Your job, you idiot! You know, lawyer, courts, law - all that shit?”

  Sam stared at him, face blank.

  And then he started laughing, albeit disbelievingly, and more worryingly, with hint of a maniacal edge to it.

  “Sammy?” Dean called out warily, starting to rise from his seat.

  “Dean - I don’t think I can go back to that life now.” And now, Sam wasn’t laughing anymore, completely serious as he looked straight at Dean. “After everything that’s happened-“

  “After everything that’s happened - you’re just gonna throw it away?” Dean cut in though, disbelievingly.

  Sam shot him a strange look. “It's too late to go back to my old life, Dean. I'm not that guy anymore.” He paused, before adding with extra fervor. “And besides, I already told you this, Dean. I just got you back, man - I don’t want to lose you again.”

 

oOo

 

  “How’d it go?” Eileen asked, when she looked up to find Sam standing still at the center of their room. The sound of her voice snapped Sam out of whatever daze he was in, and when he tilted his head to look at Eileen, a slow grin started pulling at his lips.

  “He-uh. We talked.” 

  Eileen rolled her eyes when Sam paused, grinning jovially back at him. “I would hope you did. You were out there with him for quite a while, if you guys hadn’t talked I was gonna resort to tying you to a chair-“ She stopped when Sam cringed, his face darkening. “Sorry.” Eileen cursed herself internally, hurrying to cheer Sam up again before he fell into another bout of nightmarish memories that could - would - overwhelm him.

  “So is everything okay now?” She asked hopefully, and hesitantly, Sam smiled again, coming to sit across from her at the foot of the bed.

  “Yeah-I-you know what?” He beamed at her, and Eileen felt her heart soar at seeing Sam so happy for the first time, in a long time. “I think we’re good.”

  She beamed back at him, closing the book she was reading but had definitely stopped paying attention to the moment Sam walked in, and put it on the nightstand by the bed.

  “What did he say?” Eileen prodded, folding her stretched out legs under her, leaning forward eagerly.

  For a moment, Sam hesitated, making Eileen wonder if she’d crossed a line, but then Sam was smiling again, sitting cross-legged and turning to face her better as well.

  “Well, uh. Dean wants to keep hunting, of course. But he’s gonna take a break - go on road trips with Castiel and stuff.”

  “You think they’re mates - or, well planning to be?” Eileen interrupted, not able to hold herself back any longer, especially after seeing the perfect opportunity. As much as she could smell that Sam’s brother and the  _ angel  _ \- and yeah, she was still trying to wrap her head around that too - weren’t exactly mates, they definitely weren’t bothering to keep their hands off of each other. In all honesty, because she’d never met Dean before, she couldn’t bring herself to figure out what Dean smelled like without his scent already molding to something similar to Castiel’s - all leather and rain. But still, she was curious as to what Sam had to say about finding his brother being just about mated after four years.

  Sam paused, mouth struggling to form words as he pondered, before slowly pushing out. “There isn’t  _ nothing  _ there.” He said carefully. “But I’m not gonna stick my nose into their business.” He smirked, albeit a little sadly. “I don’t think I’ve gotten that privilege.”

  Eileen nodded in acknowledgement, before hastily pushing on. “So. Road trips?”

  “Yeah,” Sam’s eyes were shining again as he remembered whatever he and Dean had spoken about. “And I asked - I mean, he was all concerned about me just throwing away my job and stuff,” He scoffed, though there wasn’t any real heat in the action. “But I, uh, sorta made like a compromise. You know, stay in the job, keep my name and reputation out there, probably good to keep a lawyer in the family anyway. I mean, angels have their perks and all, but Dean was saying something about how it could come in useful anyway.” Sam was outright vibrating with joy, but Eileen was finding herself losing him more and more with every word he was saying.

  “Wait - hold on a second.” She physically held up a hand, eyes closing as if it could help her try and piece everything together. It didn’t work, so she opened her eyes again to just come out and ask Sam for a clarification directly. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Sam grinned, all white teeth glinting in the light, and yeah, he was starting to bounce slightly on the bed with utter glee. “We can go with him.” He said softly, face open and eager, as if still trying to come to terms with it himself. “He says we can hunt together - like as a family. And he doesn’t care about everything I’ve done to him or anything - actually, he seemed pretty damn happy at the prospect of us hunting together again, like when we were little.” Sam’s face darkened, but only for a moment. “Well. Without dad.” And just like that, his face cleared, though he still looked thoughtful, eyes going distant and not really focusing on Eileen anymore. Not that she minded. At that moment, Eileen was more than just content to be privy to watch Sam express himself without anything dark hanging over their shoulders. “And I mean, I guess Castiel is still almost a stranger, but he saved us all - especially Dean - and I guess they don’t know you as well, but you worked with Castiel, and that worked out pretty great, so you know.” Sam’s eyes trained on her again.

  “We’re gonna go hunting together, Eileen. The four of us - but, Dean and I… we’re gonna be brothers again.”

  Her heart melting, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything for a while, except to let her scent free and show Sam how happy she was for him. Though she was still rather doubtful…

  “Sam - I think it's great and all, you and Dean… but are you sure you want me there? I don’t want to come in between you guys. Not to mention, I mean. My work - the case I came here for - it’s done.”

  She hated herself for saying it. But she didn’t want to force Sam into thinking he had to involve her in his life anymore, not when he didn’t want to. So she was offering him a way out, even though she found herself hoping Sam would say otherwise. And yet, she prepared to be ready to walk away, go back to hunting cases by herself… or maybe. Maybe it was time to hang it up-

  Sam’s face dropped, before he was carefully arranging his face into a more neutral, understanding mask. “Eileen - I, uh.” His eyes dropped, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. “I mean, if you - if you feel that you’ve got a job to do and that means you’ve gotta go, then I understand, and I’m not gonna hold you back. But,” Sam peeked up shyly, his hopeful eyes making Eileen’s heart jump into her throat, even as she internally yelled to not get ahead of herself. “If you don’t mind me saying? I wouldn’t mind if you stayed.”

  Eileen’s face broke out into a large smile. “Sam-I-I would love to.” She said shortly. And for a while, the two just sat there, looking at each other, unaware of anything else except for the slight buzzing coming through the bedroom window.

 

oOo

 

  They were in bed, cuddled up in each other, Cas’s arms encircling Dean as the omega played with one of the wings on Cas’s right side and blanketing Dean. 

  “I talked with Gabriel.” Cas murmured, eyes closed and a small smile subconsciously playing at his lips as Dean continued to stroke through the feathers near his waist, before coming up and gently dragging the tips of his fingers over the arch of Cas’s top wing, tucked under Dean’s neck.

  “Yeah?”

  Cas hummed, enjoying the feeling of his mate’s fingers on his wings. He shuffled, ever so slightly so as to not disturb his omega, the wings on his left side rustling where it wasn’t pressed under Dean’s body. 

  “He’s been listening in on what’s been happening in Heaven,” Cas informed Dean. “Raphael and Bartholomew - they’re dead.”

  The hand on his wing froze. 

  Dean lifted his head, looking up warily at Cas. “So, what does that mean?” He asked. The ‘ _For us?’_ wasn’t said aloud, but Cas heard it anyway.

  “It means,” Cas said carefully, releasing his hands to grab onto Dean’s hand still motionless against his wing. “That Heaven is undergoing chaos.” Cas paused, twining his fingers with Dean’s, a bubble of elation filling within him at the sight. Dean kept his eyes on Cas though. “Gabriel is planning to take control.”

  He could see, out of the corner of his eyes, but still clear to his vision, Dean’s eyebrows jumping to his hairline.

  “Gabriel… is planning to take over Heaven.” Dean deadpanned, clearly disbelievingly. “I thought your brother was all about standing in the sidelines, avoiding the main action and stuff, but with a bucket of popcorn and 3D glasses for the view anyway?”

  Cas’s lips quirked at that, and he brought Dean’s hand up, still in his own, to press a light kiss against the knuckle. Dean blushed, though he kept his face studiously skeptical.

  “He was. But it was time for our brothers and sisters, and I quote, ‘to just get back to their fucking jobs, and guard humanity as our Father planned, and at least make sure the humans don’t try to make massive corpses of each other within rapid succession. Because if we don’t focus on stopping them from doing that, then us dickwads end up doing the same to ourselves, and we’ve lost enough in ape-ish wars already’.”

  Dean stared. And then he snorted, before bursting into loud chuckles, burying his face in Cas’s neck as he attempted to get himself back under control.

  “Has he already said that to the rest of the angels?” He asked, once he lifted his head from Cas’s neck.

  Cas nodded, a regretful look on his face, that had Dean grinning uncontrollably again, before he sobered up. “How’d they take it?” He asked quietly.

  Cas sighed. “As well as you’d expect. They were rather… skeptical of Gabriel’s sudden reappearance, him being gone for so long after all. But it still stands, that he’s the only archangel in power right now, with a point, and after the amount we’ve already lost in the war between Raphael and Bartholomew, they’re willing to listen, so long as to avoid anymore bloodshed.” Cas shook his head slightly, rubbing his thumb in circles against the back of Dean’s hand. “But they aren’t too happy in being told to look after humans. Many of them have already been vocal about their disinterest or lack of care in humanity. It’s infuriating.” Cas admitted. “Though it’s what our Father wanted, for some reason they’re having trouble seeing that. After ignoring His words of not committing fratricide all this time, you’d think they’d be able to see the wrong in their own actions.”

  “Yeah, well. Like your brother said. No offense, Cas, but angels are dickwads.”

  Cas huffed, his amusement escaping him despite himself. “You do realize I am angel as well, right?”

  Dean started to lean up, Cas immediately starting to let go and pull back his wings to let Dean free, but Dean only held onto his hand tighter, moving so that he was looking at Cas from above him. “I didn’t mean you, Cas.” Dean said softly, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. “You’re…” He paused, trying to come up with the proper words as he lifted up his hand - the one that wasn’t holding on to Cas’s - adjusting himself so that he was now straddling Cas so he could remove the weight from his arm, and started to cup Cas’s cheek, his left hand tightening its hold on the angel’s right. “You’re just you.” Dean finished simply, before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on Cas’s lips. 

  Cas’s eyes fluttered before closing at the soft touch of Dean’s mouth against his, the world around him coming to a stop as everything centered down to the omega on top of him. His left hand came sliding up against Dean’s side before settling on his face as well, holding him lightly in place when Dean started to pull back, to kiss him again. And again. And again. And this time, it wasn’t as chaste as it had started out to be, Dean’s breathing growing heavier, and when his mouth fell open, jaw going slack, Cas took advantage of it, kissing Dean deeper, and then letting his tongue delve in.

  Dean let out a soft sound, practically melting against Cas as he slumped forward, torso falling flat on the angel’s. With slow, unhurried movements, Dean started to reciprocate, bringing their entwined hands up to Cas’s shoulder, letting it rest there as they focused on each other’s mouths.

  Minutes must have gone by, or maybe it was seconds, but it felt like ages before Dean started pulling away, inhaling deeply as he tried to regain his breath. But he didn’t go far, leaving his forehead to rest atop Cas’s, each exhale leaving Dean’s mouth landing gently upon Cas’s. 

  Though as an angel he didn’t need to breathe, Cas found himself taking a lungful of air as well, smile widening when all he could smell was their scents combined, mixing together so well it would have been hard for a stranger to discern which scent belonged to whom. Coriander and fresh water droplets was a good blend, and the best thing Cas had ever had the pleasure of smelling up to that point in his existence. 

  But even better was the sensation of Dean’s mouth on his again, pressing harder and deeper this time, entwining their other hands and pushing it up above Cas’s head and pinned against the bed. Cas’s hips bucked at the movement, and the next thing he knew, Dean was moaning into his mouth, tongue a wet heat against his. Dean gyrated his hips, their groins coming together and fitting perfectly. Fireworks began to explode within Cas at all the touches, the comfort of his mate blanketing him. It was a subconscious action for Cas’s wings to suddenly come up and wrap around Dean, the tips brushing falling against the bed. Dean shuddered, clutching Cas’s hands harder, pressing himself closer even as his back seemed to want to arch into Cas’s wings. 

  Swallowing, Cas pushed himself up, preparing to let Dean straddle his lap, but instead, Dean suddenly leaned to his side, and then Cas found himself on top of the omega this time, gravity pressing Cas flat against the hunter before his wings could instinctively pull himself away to avoid flattening the human. But Dean didn’t seem bothered at all - if anything, he only groaned, clutching Cas tighter again before resuming their now frantic kissing. 

  Cas gasped, Dean taking advantage of his open mouth to push his tongue inside again, sucking and nibbling at Cas’s mouth in a frenzy. Feeling the last vestiges of control slip away, Cas detangled on of his hands to slip it under Dean’s shirt - 

  Dean immediately froze. 

  Smelling the abrupt lack of emotions and scent that had previously been pouring from the omega, Cas pulled himself back, eyes wide with worry as he regarded the omega under him. 

  “Dean-I’m so sorry-was I going too fast? Should I stop?” And even before he finished talking, Cas was pulling away, trying to bring his wings out from under Dean without jostling him too much. 

  But Dean suddenly latched on to Cas’s wings near his back, holding him tight in place. 

  “No.” Dean’s voice was low, and though his eyes were blank, he blinked rapidly until he was focusing on Cas again. “I don’t-don’t go. I-I want you to stay - I  _ need _ you.” Dean’s eyes turned beseeching as he stared up at Cas, his fingers digging in his wings to the point of being painful, but Cas paid it no heed. “I don’t wanna remember Lilith - I don’t wanna think of any of those demons or anything that happened. I just want you, Cas. And only you.” His fingers loosened, Dean’s eyes watering as they turned doubtful and self-conscious. “Can’t I have that?” He whispered. 

  Cas surged forward, pecking Dean on the lips before kissing him harder again. “Of course, Dean.” He whispered back, eyes slipping closed as he held onto Dean’s face, his sides, his hands. “Anything for you, my brave hunter. Anything.”

  He tried to keep it gentle, to not rush things even as his vessel yelled at him to get a move on. But Cas waited, and eventually, it was Dean who slipped a finger under Cas’s shirt, stroking the angel’s hips and making him shudder. Taking that as his cue, Cas straightened, Dean lifting his back so that Cas could pull his wings out from underneath him and shedded the layer, leaving him bare chested. His wings ruffled in an attempt to straighten their feathers, before cocooning around Dean again, though he didn’t bother tucking them under the omega. Granted, if he wanted, he could have lifted Dean with his wings alone, but Cas wasn’t paying much attention to that. 

  Dean’s eyes grew heavy with lust as he let his eyes drag over Cas’s chest. Though he never really saw the appeal in his own body in a sexual way, Cas let him, simply enjoying the attention his omega was devoting to him, before it grew too heated and Dean was tugging him back down again, kissing his mouth before sliding his lips over Cas’s jaw, going farther down to his neck, collarbone, chest, and then he was pinching Cas’s nipple.  

  Cas gasped, wings arching grandly, extending and quivering until they were taking up most of the room. From under him, Dean chuckled, his voice nonetheless slightly dazed as he did it again, and Cas’s hips bucked, pressing just right as it connected with Dean’s. 

  This time, it was Dean who moaned, hand falling free and head falling back, eyes closing in pleasure. He pushed his hips down in an attempt to gain more friction, but his hand was now moving to his own shirt, hesitantly tugging at the bottom. Cas slowed his pace, mouthing at Dean’s extended neck, hands kept reassuringly on Dean’s face, letting the omega set the pace, until finally, Dean was reaching for his hand, tugging it down until he made Cas’s fingers graze against the skin of Dean’s hip. 

  Cas pulled back until he met Dean’s eyes, a silent question of, “ _ are you sure? _ ” conveyed through his eyes. Dean’s fingers tightened, but then he nodded, lifting his body slightly so Cas could take off his shirt. 

  The breath was stolen away from Cas. 

  Sure, he’d seen Dean’s body many times before, whether ladened with scars still bloody or healing, but it was the first time his torso was completely bare, due to Cas’s grace. But that wasn’t what captured Cas’s attention, not really. 

  No, this was the first time Dean was not only completely lucid, free from pain or heat, but he was also staring right back at Cas with a steadily increasing heat in his gaze, making Cas feel like he was being set on fire. He basked in that sensation, and slowly pushed himself back down again. Nipping at Dean’s lips, just once, he forced himself to move slowly, paying special attention to each expanse of skin his mouth fell upon, from Dean’s stubbled jaw, to the curve of his delicate adam’s apple, down to the hollow below, and he couldn’t help but let his tongue slip out there, sucking lightly, grinning at Dean’s moan vibrating under his mouth. 

  But then he went further down, his lips even more gentle until they were practically akin to a feather’s brush against Dean’s skin, barely there as he kissed Dean’s chest, his torso, his stomach. Cas let himself place a more solid one right at the center there, before he was moving back upwards. He was careful to maintain eye contact with Dean, the omega already looking well to losing his composure, and when Cas’s mouth closed around his nipple, Dean’s head fell back heavily on the pillow, a long, drawn out moan ripping free from the omega. Legs tightening around Cas, Dean’s hands surged down, burying themselves in Cas’s hair, tangling his fingers in Cas’s roots as Cas lavished Dean’s nipple with attention, sucking and flicking the bud with his nipple, refusing to let go until he could feel it swollen within his mouth. When he pulled back, a trail of saliva connected his mouth to Dean’s skin, and he moved to Dean’s other nipple, kissing it and grinning with his mouth against it when Dean gasped, back arching and nails digging into Cas’s scalp. 

  Dean moaned, and he didn’t stop expressing his pleasure, his voice only increasing in volume as Cas expended the same treatment to the other bud, a hand coming up to pinch and twist at the neglected one. His movements faltered, but only in the slightest so that he doubted Dean even noticed when Cas could smell the beginning of Dean’s slick making its appearance. But until Dean chose to acknowledge it himself, Cas decided to continue ignoring it, simply working at Dean’s nipples, stroking and sucking at the rest of Dean’s body and leaving love marks against the skin of an eventually writhing omega. 

  Crawling back up to press his lips against his mate’s beautifully flushed cheeks, Dean pressed the heel of his palm flat against Cas’s bicep, capturing the alpha’s attention. 

  “P-pants.” Dean gasped, and as much as Cas tried to meet his eyes, it became harder to accomplish that when Dean stubbornly kept them closed. 

  “Okay-okay. We can do that.” Cas murmured, peppering kisses all over Dean’s face, relishing the tiny squeak Dean emitted, much to the embarrassment flooding from the omega after that. “Can you look at me, though?” Cas asked, softly. Dean’s grip tightened, but he was complying anyway, those beautiful green unveiled to Cas, flecks of omega gold overtaking his irises. “Beautiful,” Cas murmured, digging a thumb into the waistband of Dean’s sweats. “My beautiful, sweet, brave, hunter.”

  If possible, Dean’s blush only intensified, and as much as Cas would have loved to keep his eyes on that, he was just starting to tug down Dean’s pants. So instead, training his eyes on Dean’s, he hooked another finger, and pulled them down, Dean looking at him intently, jaw slack as he lifted his hips to help Cas pull them off completely. 

  Still meeting his eyes, Cas starting moving downwards again, placing a kiss on Dean’s still swollen nipples, grinning cheekily at Dean’s gasps, another kiss at his stomach, one of his hipbone and then one more on the other side... and then he was baring Dean’s legs, laying a peck on every inch of Dean’s legs. Relishing the full body shudder that went through Dean at that, Cas pulled the cloth free from Dean’s feet, placing a few more kisses at his ankles and the soles of his feet, glancing at them when they twitched, before moving back up, lying between Dean’s legs. Because Dean wasn’t wearing anything underneath his clothes, the omega was now completely naked below the alpha, and was resolutely refusing to meet Cas’s eyes again. 

  “Hey, look at me, Dean.” Cas’s voice was firm, and yet still soft, compelling Dean to obey. With golden green eyes fixed on him, Cas pressed his lips against Dean’s neck, trailing his finger down Dean’s body until he was circling Dean’s hipbone, refusing to let it go any further down until Dean wasn’t stiff as a board under him. 

  It took a while, and the entire time Cas kept working his finger, lightly dragging it over the skin, at times slightly rubbing in a mimicry of massaging him. Up higher, he rested his forehead against Dean, leaving a small bit of distance in between them so he could keep his eyes trained on Dean’s expression. Long minutes went by before Dean eventually melted with a sigh, rolling his eyes though there was still a level of tenseness that remained in his form. Taking Cas’s hand in his, he slowly pushed it down until they were tracing the insides of Dean’s thigh, but when Dean didn’t lead him any further than that, Cas didn’t bother proceeding either, a cheeky grin blooming on his face. A couple of moments passed before Dean noticed, and he rolled his eyes again, harder this time. 

  “Oh, you motherfucker,” he grumbled. “Fuck m-  _ Cas _ .” He hissed, his mouth falling open when Cas dragged a finger around his cunt, pushing in the slightest bit. Dean’s legs spread open further, loose limbed on the mattress, his hips twisting and pushing down in an attempt to get Cas’s finger to go deeper within him. 

  Pushing his lips to Dean’s, Cas plunged in his finger. 

  Dean‘s head fell back, their mouths parting as he moaned, the loudest noise reverberating their room yet. Cas dropped his forehead to Dean’s breathing deeply at the warmth surrounding his finger, Dean’s hole so wet that a squelching noise was heard. For all that he wasn’t in heat, Dean was nonetheless producing just as much as slick as he would if he were, so much so that Cas could easily push in another finger, and then another in rapid succession. 

  “P-please, Cas-“ Dean’s eyes fluttered, his fingers alternating from weakly to tightly grasping Cas’s arms, but then moving to his stroke his wings, before looping his arms around Cas’s neck. 

  “Tell me-tell me what you n-need,” Cas stuttered, suddenly aware of his hard cock pulsating against his stomach. 

  “Your-your cock. In me- _ please _ !”

  The two of them were breathing harshly, puffs of air against each other’s mouth as Cas leaned up, placing his upper body’s weight on his forearms bracing Dean’s head. Lifting his hips, he reached a hand down, positioning his aching length, and despite the distractingly mouthwatering noises Dean was making, Cas kept himself steady, eyes zoned in on Dean’s face as he slowly pushed in. 

  The noises Dean made after that?  _ Exquisite _ . 

  It was like music in his ears, and Dean’s face, eyes closing and face twisting in pleasure and the slightest twinge of discomfort as he adjusted to Cas’s size - it was absolutely breathtaking, so much that Cas found himself holding his breath, trying to hold back his own groans of content at the feeling of Dean’s cunt swallowing him up with the most vulgar of sounds to be heard. 

  Pushed until he was balls deep inside Dean, Cas lifted his hand, wet with slick and precome, wrapping his fingers around Dean’s cock. A guttural moan ripped out of Dean’s throat when he tugged, but then Dean was quickly pulling Cas’s hands away, bringing it to his face. 

  “I wanna c-come… just on you,” Dean whispered, eyelids fluttering as he struggled to keep his eyes on Cas. 

  Cas smiled, lips still parted and the air leaving from his lungs when Dean brought his hand to his mouth. 

  “F-fuck me, Cas.” Dean murmured, swirling his tongue around Cas’s finger. The alpha moaned, his head dropping to Dean’s neck, nostrils flaring with the proximity hence of the source of everything that was  _ Dean _ . “Fuck me like you mean it.”

  He started thrusting in small increments, not bothering to pull his head away from Dean’s neck. Nosing at the sweat pooling there, he pushed in as deep as he could go, punching a groan out of Dean and making the omega scramble for a stronger grip at his back, before settling with his fingers wrapped right around the beginnings of his wings as tight as they could go, palms to the sweaty skin of Cas’s back. Pulling out, the sound of slick and precome combined squelching echoed loudly in the room, highlighting itself in the background of the combined breathing and moaning of the mates. 

  Thrusting a bit more quickly, gaining the slightest bit of speed, Cas let his canines extend abruptly, not holding himself back, especially when Dean started extending his neck even more so. 

  Dragging the edges of his teeth over Dean’s pulse, he held onto Dean’s right hand tighter directly above their heads, other hand framing the left side of Dean’s face as his fingers rested loosely in the omega’s mouth. Dean was barely focused on continuing to suck now that Cas was starting to thrust harder. He stopped himself from going too fast, trying to draw this out for as long as possible, and yet, he could already feel the knot at the base of his cock starting to swell. 

  “Dean,” Cas gasped, tilting his head up so that his voice wasn’t muffled in the crook between Dean’s neck and shoulder. “I-my knot-“

  “Yes.” Dean pushed down, undoubtedly now able to feel the beginnings of Cas’s knot anyway. “Knot me-Cas! M-make me yours,  _ please _ !”

  With a loud, drawn out groan, Cas pushed. 

  Dean’s back arched, his orgasm exploding out of nowhere, capturing the omega’s body, making him shudder and his cunt to clench tightly around Cas’s locked in cock. His arms tightened around Cas’s torso, and the tight feeling of it all made Cas drop his head back down, mouthing at Dean’s pulse point.

  His canines started to scrape at Dean’s skin. 

  “Tell me to stop now, Dean,” Cas whispered urgently, his thrusting growing frantic, unable to move much and tearing slightly pained whimpers from his omega’s mouth when he still continued to adamantly twist his hips in circles and other shapeless movements, the sensations overly stimulating Dean’s already overwhelmed groin. “Tell me to stop myself from biting you, from marking you.”

  “Bite me!” Dean demanded instead, hissing when Cas’s hips jerked, the alpha closing in on his own orgasm. “Make me yours, alpha, mark me, bite me,  _ mate me, Castiel _ !” 

  Cas yelled, his hips snapping, once, twice, and then he was coming, flooding Dean’s insides as he clamped down tight on Dean’s neck, teeth digging into the soft flesh and feeling the blood and pheromones float into Cas’s body, melding Dean into his own. Fingers grappling and arms readjusting, it took a few seconds filled with desperation before Cas was wrapping his arms around Dean’s body and bringing him as close as Cas possible could to himself, his hands coming up to cradle Dean’s neck from behind. 

  Dean froze, not breathing for a second, until Cas pulled his teeth out, agonizingly slow, but it made the air escape from Dean’s lungs with a low whoosh, chest nonetheless moving up closer- pressing himself to Cas, even though there already wasn’t a centimeter of space between their bodies. 

  Teeth completely pulled out, blood immediately started to well at the surface, Cas’s tongue darting out right away to lap at the droplets before they could trail down to the bed, smearing red on Dean’s skin for a second before that too was gone, licked away by Cas. 

  His hips were still moving, he was still coming deep inside of Dean, but in sporadic bursts now, the intervals in between growing longer until he finally stopped. And know, he was just locked inside, waiting patiently and not really caring much though for Cas’s knot to go down. 

  Cas lifted his head up, smiling at Dean’s dazed eyes. 

  “Bite me.” He said softly, watching Dean’s eyes widen and spark with a sudden lucidity, but Dean didn’t question him. He merely nodded, and then Cas was tilting his head, baring his skin to Dean. 

  The omega nosed along his neck, scenting for the right spot before he was satisfied, and then his own canines were sinking in, the pain making Cas’s hip jolt as he came again, the dual sensations together making Dean moan, the sound vibrating through Cas’s body and again, affect Dean through their still connected groins. 

  Cas inhaled sharply when Dean pulled his teeth out, as gentle as Cas and still as slow, before licking at the blood that immediately dropped right on his lips. Blinking, Dean grinned, lips smeared red before surging back up, and outright sucking on Cas’s neck. Caught by surprise, Cas yelled, an arm extending out rapidly in an attempt to balance himself as he pushed his neck and cock deeper into Dean, letting his eyes close as he gave himself up to the sensations, Dean still continuing to suck long after the blood stopped flowing, eventually pulling away, to much of their dismay. 

  His cock finally stilling within the omega, he dropped his forehead against Dean’s, the both of them trying to regain their breaths, before Dean spoke. 

  “Can-can you bite me again?” He asked, and Cas rejoiced in the ability to feel his omega’s emotions so much more strongly before he frowned, realizing that Dean was feeling self conscious. Raising his head to look into Dean’s eyes, he observed the omega looking away, jaw clenching. 

  “Of course,” Cas murmured, pressing a kiss to Dean’s nose. “Where?” He asked, simply. It wasn’t usual for an omega to be littered with an alpha’s bites, but then again. No one really bothered with more than one - not in places they could see anyway. Though if Dean was talking about more than one bite, maybe Cas could go for his thigh- as soon as they weren’t knotted together anymore, that is. 

  Dean let go of Cas’s wings - a shaky finger coming to point at the faded mark on his collarbone, and immediately, Cas’s eyes softened, even though his inner alpha growled with rage at the sight. 

  “Yes-Dean, of course.” Cas mumbled, already pushing himself down without trying to move his hips, kissing the skin above Dean’s collarbone, before letting his retracted canines extend again. 

  Mouth widening, he traced the bite until his teeth were exactly above the old one, and sank them in. 

  Dean gasped, his heart beat minutely increasing, and Cas could hear every beat of it as he lapped at the blood, fingers digging into Dean’s side as the omega arched into him. 

  “God, I-I love you so much, angel.” Dean stuttered as Cas pulled out, but then froze. Refusing himself to react to the statement, Cas drew himself back up, staring back down at Dean and letting the omega see the full force of his adoration and love for his mate. 

  “I love you too, my brave hunter.” Cas replied, without an ounce of hesitation or doubt in his being. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me for this long! I truly hope you enjoyed this, and I hope to see you guys soon (whenever that is..)

**Author's Note:**

> BILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF THANKS TO: Tumblr users @Deanwinbean and @all-i-need-is-destiel the latter helping me with some references and the former, without whom which this fic probably wouldn't have even been finished, so many many many thanks and i love you so much you deserve so much!!!
> 
> :)
> 
> See y'all next Tuesday ;)


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